Substance abuse has a hold on millions of Americans, crippling lives, devastating families, and costing the economy millions. When a community is struck by a drug epidemic, that city or town will often see a surge in deaths and hospital admissions thanks to repeated overdoses and diseases experienced as a result of substance abuse. While the government has taken strides in recent years to fight the drug epidemic, more money is always needed to keep people and communities healthy. Here are three reasons why funding for detox programs will remain an essential priority.
Life assessments determine the impact of substance abuse
In May 2021, lawmakers announced almost $55 million in federal aid for substance abuse programs in Maryland. That success was made possible due to the American Rescue Plan passed by Congress as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This money will fund organizations so they can bring more people into helpful detox programs aimed at stopping drug abuse. The more people that enter these programs for help, the more life assessments will be conducted to determine the impact drug abuse has on education, work, and school performance. Society can only defeat the drug epidemic by learning everything there is to know about people struggling with addiction, withdrawal, and mental health problems related to drug abuse.
Intervention programs stop drug abuse in its tracks
An intervention is a planned process that involves multiple health care professionals, family, and friends. The goal of an intervention is to confront the person addicted to drugs so they can see how drug abuse is tearing apart their family and hurting their lives. In many cases, interventions are a last-ditch effort to stop people from destroying their lives completely. But these kinds of special programs cost a lot of money, time, and resources. According to the Mayo Clinic, drug intervention programs work with a concrete plan, a supportive team, a mention of consequences if the person helped doesn’t agree to treatment, and a time for family members to express themselves. A meeting is held and a follow-up is done to ensure long-term success. But long-term success comes from the expenditure of additional resources, emphasizing the need for more federal funding to save lives.
Detox services help people prepare for the future
There is little that can be done to save people addicted to drugs when the toxins and chemicals from substances are still in the body. Heart disease, brain damage, kidney disease, and damage to the nervous system are all real problems that someone addicted to drugs may experience. In the short term, individuals are going to have a tough time making any progress in their recovery, let alone see themselves get their lives back on track.
But long-term substance abuse can cause debilitating illnesses, many of which can be saved if organizations are aware that money is available in their state to build or improve upon existing detox programs. For example, in California, a grant watch website tracks new substance abuse grants as they’re added, including details on deadlines and options to share the grant on Facebook or Twitter. For employees working at detox programs, checking to determine when new grants have arrived can open up opportunities to provide improved detox services to people addicted to drugs.
Addiction is one of the curses of society, and when left untreated, can lead to a poor quality of life, disease, and death. The government has spent years funding detox and substance abuse programs meant to keep people clean from the effects of drug abuse so they can live the lives they deserve to live. None of the addiction programs are expected to have perfect outcomes every time. But as long as more funding is provided, the chances of survival for people addicted to drugs increase over time. If you or someone you know is suffering from a substance abuse problem, click here to start your recovery journey and learn more about helpful detox services.