|
KENTUCKY
- Drug rehabs
throughout the country are not created equally.
It is important to get all the information
possible when it comes to drug rehabilitation
facilities and their treatment methods.
State to state,
prescription abuse issues vary. However,
prescription drug abuse overall has been
soaring. More readily available, and with the
misconception that if a doctor has prescribed
it, then it must be safe, more and more people
are abusing and becoming addicted to prescribed
medications.
The DEA1 (United
States Drug Enforcement Administration) reports
that the abuse and diversion of prescription
drugs, particularly hydrocodone and oxycodone (
Lortab, Lorcet, Vicodin® and Oxycontin), remain
one of, if not the, largest drug problem in
southeastern Kentucky. The availability of
diverted pharmaceuticals in central and northern
Kentucky remains high, but stable. The
availability of Oxycontin in southeastern
Kentucky has risen due to the increased
availability of pills transported from Midwest
metropolitan areas. Primary methods of diversion
include pharmacy theft, “doctor shopping,”
prescription fraud, and purchasing large
quantities of drugs from unscrupulous Internet
pharmacies. The purchasing of drugs via the
Internet continues to have a significant impact
on Kentucky. Purchasers have the drugs delivered
to their homes using false names and/or
different combinations of the same name.
Government
Technology2, an online resource in an
article released in April of 2005 reported,
Kentucky First State to Fight Prescription Drug
Abuse Online. They report, "...the Cabinet for
Health and Family Services' Office of Inspector
General unveiled its enhanced Web-based,
state-operated database that is used to identify
and prevent controlled substance abuse in
Kentucky. This makes Kentucky the first state in
the nation to provide a self-service, Web-based
system for tracking all schedule II-V
prescription drugs.
The Enhanced Kentucky All Schedule Prescription
Electronic Reporting program, known as eKASPER,
is a true technological success story for
Kentucky. "eKASPER will allow pharmacists,
physicians, law enforcement and other qualified
users to get KASPER reports 24 hours a day, 7
days a week within 15 minutes or less of making
a request, compared to the current fax only
request system that can take from two hours to
three weeks to issue a report," says CHFS'
Inspector General Robert J. Benvenuti, III. "eKASPER
is the most effective and efficient tool ever
implemented to combat prescription drug abuse in
Kentucky. Its benefit will be immediate and
powerful and have an incredibly positive impact
on the citizens of the commonwealth."
Approximately 1,300 pharmacies across the state
report all controlled substances they dispense
through this system."
The Office Of Drug
Control Policy3 (ODCP) released these
stats on the state of Kentucky:
Prescription Drug Abuse Facts
• Unintentional fatal drug overdoses nearly
doubled over 5 years
• Overdoses now #2 cause of accidental death
(after car crashes)
• Prescription drugs the chief cause of increase
in deaths
• 1 in 5 teens has abused a prescription pain
medicine
• 1 in 5 report abusing prescription stimulants
and tranquilizers
• 1 in 10 has abused cough medicine
• Kentucky leads the nation in using
prescription drugs for nonmedical purposes in
the past year
• Kentucky leads the nation in using pain
relievers such as Darvon and Percodan for
non-medical use
• Kentucky leads the nation in using
tranquilizers such as Xanax and Valium for
non-medical use
• Nearly 10 percent of Kentucky 12th-graders had
used prescription narcotics in the previous 30
days
 One thing is for certain, for
the drug addict of prescription medications, the
dwindling spiral will continue on its downward
path unless action is taken. NOW is the time to
do something before the addicted person winds up
in jail or dead of an overdose or accident.
Unfortunately past failed attempts to overcome
addiction only further depress the individual so
it comes as no surprise that fear and
hesitation.
In the state of Kentucky there is an increased
need for effective drug and alcohol rehab and
addiction treatment centers as drug and alcohol
use continues to escalate. Drug use erodes the
quality of life not only for the user, but for
their families and communities. Marriages and
families are torn apart by mistrust, betrayal,
fear and anger. Careers are ruined; companies
lose millions of dollars in lost production
time; cities and suburbs become degraded by the
increased crime and violence that goes with drug
trafficking and drug addiction.
From city to suburb to rural life, drug and
alcohol use and abuse continues to undermine the
quality of life for Kentucky citizens. To do
nothing for the addict, should not be an option.
Something can be done; help is available.
|
Should a chronic drug or alcohol abuser
attend a treat program close to home? |
|
 Drug
and alcohol addiction typically involves
habitual routines in the environmental
scope of the individual, i.e. the
locations of their drug or alcohol use,
the people they associated with in the
activities of drug or alcohol use, etc.
Drug or alcohol addiction is not just
drug and alcohol use, it revolves around
people and things in their immediate
environment which help to trigger the
addictive behavior. The abusers location
and routines of drug and alcohol use
further trigger drug and alcohol use. It
is the constant and seemingly
unstoppable drug or alcohol use and the
hopelessness of day to day existence
which perpetuates the problem and
inhibits the native desire to stop
ruining their life through the use of
drugs and alcohol.
The above factor should not be over
looked when considering a treatment
center location. The first two weeks of
treatment are always the most difficult
and there are many factors at work to make
this so. In addition to what has been
covered above, a more basic factor is
this; people are creatures of habit.
Even overwhelmingly positive and
beneficial changes in life, such as the
birth of a child or a new job does not
guarantee the individual will have no
thoughts of missing past negative
activities such as, drug or alcohol use,
drug or drinking acquaintances and other
associated activities. Factually this is
the normal reactive auto response of
most human beings; to do what they are
familiar with; good or bad. It is not
really that they yearn for these things,
it is just all that they have known for
some time. If the abuser is close to
home when overwhelming feelings manifest
themselves, there is a good chance he or
she will leave and get back to what they
know, drug addiction, as it is not very
far away . Due to these factors,
attending a drug rehab close to home is
seldom the correct treatment option for
chronic drug or alcohol abusers. It is
extremely therapeutic to be distanced
from their former association with drug
dealers, bars, the cabinet where the
alcohol was kept, the cigar box where
the cocaine was stored, etc. All these
triggers make the task of sobriety seem
insurmountable to the chronic drug or
alcohol abuser as these triggers
continuously stimulate a reminder of
their past addictive behaviors.
For individuals with a severe drug or
alcohol addiction problem, choosing a
long term inpatient treatment program is
another key to a successful outcome. By
providing a new, safe trigger free
environment, distanced from past
negative associations and surroundings
for an extended period of time, the
chance for success increases
dramatically.
Our program provides people with
positive circumstances to increase their
chances for a successful recovery. The
vast majority of students entering our
program, around (80%), are from out of
state or from other countries. |
|
Healing Addicted Lives |
|
 Call
now and request a copy of Healing
Addicted Lives written by Gary W. Smith,
Certified Chemical Dependency Counselor
and Director of Narconon Arrowhead Drug
and Alcohol Rehabilitation and Education
Center.
Call anytime to speak with one of our
counselors about our program. We will
take the time to answer your questions
whether it be for yourself or a loved
one. It is possible to replace the loss
and pain of alcohol or drug addiction
with a productive, enjoyable life.
Call now (877) 340-3602.
|
|
