Ohio, which historically ranks below the national average for both drug and alcohol dependency, nevertheless has need of the 424 drug and alcohol treatment centers located within its borders. In the words of one crack cocaine user surveyed by the state in 2008 when asked to rate the availability of crack from 1-10, “20! It’s everywhere…walk two blocks and wait.” In the larger metropolitan areas in Ohio like Akron, Toledo, Cleveland, Youngstown, and Dayton, heroin, crack, marijuana and prescription opioids lead the drug threats. Methamphetamine is declining, however, thanks to a determined effort to stop the proliferation of meth labs across the state.

Drug and alcohol treatment and rehabilitation centers in Ohio have noted a steady decline in admissions for alcohol-related problems over the past 15 years to around 19% of total admissions, but a steady rise in drug admissions, which now comprise 30% of all admissions. A daily snapshot of patients in Ohio rehab facilities in 2006 showed that 13% were under age 18. This unusually high percentage is borne out by the chart below, which shows that Ohio’s high school seniors are well acquainted with marijuana and cocaine. Almost 9% of all high school students in Ohio have tried cocaine.

Office of National Drug Control Policy, Drug Policy Information Clearinghouse
State of Ohio Profile of Drug Indicators
January 2008

Ohio drug and alcohol treatment centers include both private for-profit (8%) and private nonprofit (82%) facilities, and rehab centers operated by local, state, or federal agencies. They are located all over the state, and 71% receive public funding of some type, expanding availability for Ohio residents. Many also contract with hospitals and other managed care organizations to provide substance abuse treatment.

Ohio residents therefore have a wide choice of drug and alcohol treatment programs and facilities, they should understand that not all Ohio treatment centers are the same, and do not offer identical programs. Programs must be certified to administer certain types of drug treatment, such as buphenorphine for opiate addiction. Currently 48 of the 425 rehab centers in Ohio are certified, with 201 doctors licensed to administer them. Only 19 Ohio treatment centers offer opioid programs, so there is no guarantee that a local Ohio drug or alcohol treatment facility will have either the certification, funding, staff, or experience to treat a particular type of addiction. Individuals and families seeking treatment should extend their search, if required. Over one-quarter of all Ohio rehabilitation centers offer residential care, very good news for those requiring inpatient care or who wanting to place an addict into an environment with a 100% focus on recovery.

Over 67,000 people were admitted for substance abuse treatment in Ohio in 2006, for a wide variety of problems. While many adults and teens across the state consider marijuana a low-risk drug, note that over 15,000 of those admissions were for marijuana addiction, more even than for alcohol. Young people are at high risk from PCP, hallucinogens, and club drugs like Ecstasy, which are popular in urban areas of Ohio, and typically sold to teenagers by other teens.

In Ohio and across the nation, drug and alcohol treatment centers are noting a trend away from drug-only or alcohol-only admissions, as shown below. Thrill-seekers and people whose addictions have progressed to where it is much harder to get high are mixing substances in increasingly damaging and difficult to treat “cocktails.” Parents or individuals who suspect any sort of substance abuse should seek help immediately.