Georgia Addiction Treatment Centers And Recovery Resources
Georgia’s I-95 connects the lucrative Miami drug trafficking network that runs to the U.S.-Canada border. Additionally, I-75 runs from Miami to Atlanta and on to Knoxville, Cincinnati and Detroit. In all, 18,000 miles of federal and state roads crisscross the Peach State.
Besides road transport, other common import methods are railroad, commercial airline (Atlanta’s Hartsfield is one of the busiest airports in the world) and by sea through the deepwater ports of Savannah and Brunswick.
Cocaine and crack cocaine are the biggest threats to Georgia according to the National Drug Intelligence Center. This is followed by methamphetamine (meth), and marijuana, which is the most widely abused drug in the state. The meth problem is growing, particularly in Atlanta, where Mexican cartels control the distribution.
Illicit drug use in Georgia is lower—about 7% of residents over the age of 12—than 30 other states. Still, over 8,000 seek drug therapy every year in nearly 300 Georgia drug treatment programs.
If you or a loved one needs help for an addiction, use Recoverycorps.org’s database of rehab programs. Below, you’ll find some information on the most commonly abused drugs, their affect on Georgians and some of the addiction recovery options.
Cocaine Addiction
Mexico and Latin America suppliers import most of the cocaine. Much of the powdered product is then converted into crack cocaine by local wholesalers and retailers. Cocaine poses the biggest threat because of the violence associated with its sale and distribution by street gangs.
Almost 3% of Georgians reported past month cocaine use according to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health.
By far, more people (1,920 in 2009) are arrested in Georgia for cocaine possession than for any other drug offense.
Club Drugs
Club drugs like MDMA (usually referred to as Ecstasy or X) is readily available in the Athens, Atlanta, Augusta, Columbus, Macon, and Savannah suburbs. It’s most popular with teenagers and college students.
Ecstasy is typically manufactured in labs in Belgium and the Netherlands. And it’s smuggled in on commercial flights going to Hartsfield International Airport. Other sources include dealers in Miami, Los Angeles and New York City.
One recent Georgia trafficking bust involved a U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent and 700,000 tabs of ecstasy worth almost $3 million.
In another bust in a Greyhound bus station in LaGrange, police seized 33.5 pounds (79,600 pills) of ecstasy worth $1.5 million.
Heroin Addiction
Heroin is primarily sold in Atlanta but it’s commonly available in other cities including Augusta, Columbus, and Savannah. The sources for the drug are Asia, South America and Mexico with its black tar heroin. Mostly though, Georgia is a distribution point for the drug.
Though its estimated there are 7,000 heroin addicts in Atlanta alone, according to the Georgia Department of Public Health.
Methamphetamine Addiction
The production of meth in Georgia peaked by about 2005. Then the state regulated the sale of the chemicals used to make meth and the number of labs confiscated dropped. Meth cooks then changed the ingredients they were using as well as the process—with alarming results.
The number of labs busted by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation in 2008 was 152; in 2010, they found 289.
Additionally, Latin American gangs have stepped up their meth importation.
Marijuana Addiction
Marijuana is the most widely available and abused drug in the state. Nearly 10% of Georgians over the age of 12 reported past year marijuana use, according to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health. About 38% of high school students reported using marijuana at least once in their lifetime.
Mexico is the most common source of marijuana in Georgia. However, homegrown cannabis has become increasingly prevalent. One recent bust in Savannah netted law enforcement 850 indoor plants worth $2 million.
Pharmaceuticals
Xanax and Lorcet are the most commonly abused pharmaceuticals in Georgia. The prescription drug painkillers hydrocodone and oxycodone (Vicodin and OxyContin) pose a big problem in the state.
Recent reports suggest that OxyContin abuse is spreading rapidly to rural parts of the state. Crooked doctors run “pill mills” writing fraudulent prescriptions to dealers. Georgia is the only Southern state without a prescription drug-monitoring program to track the drugs. Legislation is pending.
Also, the painkiller methadone is growing in popularity for abuse. It’s a cheaper alternative to Oxycontin so doctors are more likely to prescribe it for pain. Methadone is also frequently used for the treatment of opioid addiction sometimes creating a vicious cycle making addiction recovery difficult.
Drug Laws
Georgia law prescribes penalties based on the type of drug (Schedule I-V), and whether the crime was for purchase/possession, distribution, and/or trafficking.
For example, a Schedule I/II drug first offense for purchase or possession carries a prison term of not less than two years nor more than fifteen years. A second offender who sells or distributes these same drugs will serve between 10 years and life.
Recently, the Georgia State Senate approved a bill for a prescription drug-monitoring program. If it passes the house, the bill would track (in a database) all identifying information on prescriptions and patients for two years. And it would give both doctors and law enforcement access to the database.
Getting Help at Georgia Drug Treatment Centers
Recoverycorps.org makes getting addiction help easy. Contact the nearest Georgia drug treatment program from our list.
10 Common Services Offered for Georgia Addiction Recovery
- Screening for substance abuse
- Drug urine screening
- Individual counseling
- Group counseling
- Discharge planning
- Case management services
- Social skills development
- Substance abuse education
- Discharge planning
- Aftercare/continuing care
Source: The National Survey of Substance Abuse Treatment Services
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