Some 44,000 individuals were treated through its network of state-administered drug and alcohol treatment programs in 2008. However, in 2006, some 66,000 people reported needing and not receiving treatment. Although Mississippi generally ranks below the national average in this regard, its rate of drug abuse for people 26 and older as well as their unmet needs are both above the norm.

As of 2006, there were just 112 drug and alcohol treatment centers in Mississippi, located across the state. Almost half are operated by the State of Mississippi; 10 are private for-profit treatment facilities, and 58 are private nonprofit. Programs vary: 73% of all rehab facilities in Missouri offer outpatient services; 35% provide residential programs, and only one offers opioid treatment. Just six programs and 69 doctors in the entire state were certified in 2006 to administer buprenorphine, a controlled drug, to treat opiate addictions. This is a concern for families and individuals facing a problem with crack cocaine, the predominate drug threat in Mississippi, or an addiction to prescription painkillers and other opiates such as Oxycontin, Valium, or Percocet.

Mississippi’s location along major north-south and east-west transportation routes makes it a major transshipment hub for drugs pouring in from Mexico and the Caribbean. Mississippi residents are exposed to every manner of illicit drug along with freely-available alcohol. Marijuana is a special concern; per the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency, it is the most commonly used drug in Mississippi, and “although treatment data indicates admission rates for marijuana abuse are moderate, abuse continues to be widespread.” The same report indicates that marijuana is a gateway drug for teens and young adults experimenting with drugs, which makes the chart below especially worrisome.

A high percentage of drug and alcohol dependencies begin with exposure in adolescence. It is an unfortunate fact, borne out by the chart above, that children are being exposed to every sort of drug threat at younger and younger ages. The chances of experimentation escalating into full-blown addiction increases exponentially if parents seem indifferent to the risks of occasional alcohol or marijuana use or do not educate themselves on the signs of substance abuse.

Families who suspect drug or alcohol abuse should seek help as soon as possible from a qualified drug and alcohol treatment center. In Mississippi, if the local options seem limited by funding, staffing levels, or experience with the particular type of addiction, families will need to extend their search to find the program that seems best suited to their needs. The key to any treatment is early intervention and the proper mix of detoxification, behavior modification, and counseling. Sometimes inpatient care is required. Often residential programs offer the best means of breaking an addict completely out of his or her old lifestyle. Assess all options for Mississippi drug and alcohol treatment to determine which treatment modality is most likely to produce a long-term positive outcome.