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Albany, New York, Alcohol and Drug Addiction Information
Albany, New York has a population of 51,765 with an average household size of 2.701 and is located in Sandoval County and is the state capital. Albany is located on the Hudson River and has a major port.
There is an abundance of historical sites and museums in Albany as it is the oldest surviving European settlement from the original thirteen colonies.
Albany offers plenty in the performing arts with several small to large-sized venues offering local artists to national acts. The city has dozens of museums and art galleries, as well as dozens of parks for recreation. Albany also has an ongoing drug problem.
Albany New York’s Drug Source
The DEA (The US Drug Enforcement Administration)2 reports that most of the marijuana entering the New York City area, and some upstate regions, is of Mexican origin, smuggled primarily by auto/truck transport from the Southwestern United States. Traffickers also use containerized cargo and mail/parcel delivery services, such as Federal Express and United Parcel Service to smuggle marijuana into New York. Large shipments of marijuana also arrive in New York from Jamaica, and are then distributed by Jamaican trafficking organizations. High-quality hydroponic marijuana is smuggled into the U.S. from Canada, often via the Akwesasne Mohawk Indian Reservation situated along the U.S./Canadian border. Indoor marijuana grows are becoming more prevalent in the New York City area. Some of these indoor grows are highly sophisticated and are designed to yield substantial quantities of high potency marijuana.
During 2007, the New York area experienced a fluctuation in cocaine prices and at times, limited cocaine availability. Colombian and Mexican drug trafficking organizations are the primary transporters and distributors of wholesale amounts of cocaine in New York. These traffickers smuggle cocaine to New York in multi-kilogram shipments via tractor-trailers, containerized cargo, and mail services and then distribute the cocaine in smaller amounts through many networks in the metropolitan area. New York City based cocaine distribution organizations also serve as the source of supply to organizations operating throughout the eastern United States. Cocaine is also a significant problem in Albany and western New York State. Crack cocaine is readily available in economically depressed areas in all major New York cities, along with some suburban and semi-rural areas, and is occasionally a source of violence in upstate cities. Such violence usually occurs when new dealers challenge more established dealers over territory. Crack cocaine is typically transported in the form of powdered cocaine and converted into crack by area distributors.
Heroin is readily available from Colombian and Dominican organizations operating in the New York metropolitan area. Most of the heroin available is of South American origin and Colombia-based traffickers bring some of the purest heroin in the world to the streets of New York, utilizing the same distribution methods and money-laundering techniques they perfected in capturing the cocaine market. In some cases, the same organizations are distributing both cocaine and heroin.
Methamphetamine trafficking and abuse in New York State is a less serious problem when compared to heroin, cocaine, crack, and MDMA (Ecstasy). New York has a somewhat bifurcated methamphetamine market. In the New York City area, the market is primarily for crystal methamphetamine. Much of the methamphetamine seen in NYC was produced by Mexico and/or California based Mexican methamphetamine trafficking organizations. The upstate New York market is primarily methamphetamine powder supplied by local clandestine labs.
MDMA continues to be available throughout New York State.
Current investigations indicate that hydrocodone products and OxyContin are the most commonly abused pharmaceutical drugs in the New York area. The most common methods of diversion in New York are: “doctor shopping” (going to a number of doctors to obtain prescriptions for controlled pharmaceuticals), forged prescriptions, and theft. Methadone, benzodiazepines (such as alprazolam and diazepam), and fentanyl were also identified as being among the most commonly abused and diverted pharmaceuticals in New York.
The Dwindling Spiral Will Continue
One thing is for certain, for a drug addict, 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 city of Albany, 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. To do nothing for the addict, should not be an option. Something can be done; help is available.
The Damage to Society
In the State of New York, and specifically in the city of Albany, the effects of drug and alcohol abuse goes way past the the damage done to the addicts themselves. In terms of time lost on the job, to the health system inundated by illness and overdoses to communities harmed by the crime rate caused by addicts looking to steal anything in order to get their next fix, to families living a nightmare as they watch helplessly as their loved one goes further down the chutes. The rollercoaster of emotions, concern and anger seems like a never ending ride the abuser puts his friends and family through. Failures in the past with drug rehab centers further numb the addict to any hope of a future without drugs. It truly can appear hopeless.
Albany and Area Drug-Related News Stories
»Court restores charges in Albany bus station drug bust
»Troopers injured during I-90 drug arrest
»Albany sheriff’s dept. confiscated $2M in drugs in 2008
Treatment Center Changes Needed
Just in the state of New York, there are many different types of drug rehab and treatment facilities. In the United States, there are thousands of drug rehab and treatment centers. Of course the common goal of all addiction treatment programs is to help end addiction for the individual. In New York and across the United States, a variety of techniques and methods are being used. Some of the well known treatment methods in New York include the twelve step method, relapse prevention, one-on-one counseling, drug rehabilitation, behavioral modification, cognitive therapy, support groups, sober living, therapeutic communities, AA , NA, inpatient, and outpatient drug rehab programs. There are many types of treatment centers available in New York, so making a decision can be difficult. Unfortunately, many uninformed people in New York go from rehab to rehab looking for the one that is right for them.
In New York, there are many attempts being made to meet the needs of drug addicts, but statistics show success rates to be dismally low. What is needed and wanted is a drug treatment which not only handles physical addiction, but finds the underlying reasons why a person turns to drugs in order to free the person forever. What New York addicts, alcoholics and their family, friends and loved ones need is a real and effective drug rehab treatment center. One where they are not on a time schedule or use other drugs to get the addict off the original drugs. The addict needs a reliable proven program where when they are done, their drug addiction is a thing of the past and they are now able to live full productive lives free of the stronghold of drugs or alcohol.
Choosing a Drug Rehab and Addiction Treatment Program
What should the goal be of a drug rehab center? Clean and sober for 30 days? While that might be a good short term goal, many treatment centers and 12 step programs still leave the drug addict fighting a continuing battle with addiction. Once an addict always an addict; or it’s a mental disorder they can do nothing about. When choosing a drug rehab center for yourself or a loved one from Albany, New York, it is important to become educated on the different types of drug rehab and what the end results are.
Should the Drug Rehab Location Matter When it Comes to Finding a Solution to Addiction?
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 & 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 2 weeks of treatment are always the most difficult & There 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.
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.
Even overwhelmingly positive & 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.