Drug and alcohol rehab facilities in San Antonio deal with a diverse group of substance abuse problems in the
region. Alcohol is the leading contributor to drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers in San Antonio. Alcohol abuse is
a tremendous problem for alcohol rehabilitation centers in San Antonio and Bexar County. Alcohol and substance
abuse in San Antonio is a growing problem and higher than the national average and Texas as a whole.
San Antonio emergency rooms and courthouses are filled with alcoholics who drink and drive. In 2006, 50% of all
traffic fatalities involve alcohol, 9% higher than the National Average and 2% higher than the state of Texas. Every 5
days someone is killed while drinking and driving. (Source: SAPD and Bexar County Sheriff’s Office) Of course, many
of these would have been avoided had measures been in place to enforce admissions to alcohol treatment centers
in San Antonio.
With a large Hispanic population brings forth an influx of illicit drug trafficking activity and increased activity for
drug and alcohol treatment centers in San Antonio and Texas drug rehab centers altogether.
San Antonio was the fourth-fastest growing large city in the nation from 2000 to 2006 and the fifth-fastest-growing
from 2007 to 2008. Many of the treatment facilities in San Antonio face budget cuts and are understaffed making
finding effective treatment options even more challenging.
The metropolitan area has a population of nearly 2.1 million based on the 2009 U.S. Census estimate. With this
comes the problem with drug and alcohol addiction and they are on the rise. For instance in January 2007, there
were 1,031 drug offenses reported by the San Antonio Police Department. During full year 2006, there were 9,904
drug offenses reported to police. Many of these people will be required to seek drug addiction treatment which keeps the drug and alcohol treatment centers in San Antonio seeing plenty
of activity.
There are hundreds of thousands of alcoholics and drug addicts needing a drug and alcohol treatment center in San
Antonio. Drug and alcohol abuse in San Antonio is higher than the rest of the state and with the growing population
alcohol and drug rehab centers are seeing little relief. Alcohol abuse is a major problem among juvenile's and
adults in San Antonio. In 2007 there were 849 alcohol related deaths in Bexar County with over 1100 alcohol abuse
treatment admissions that same year.
Underage drinking is a major problem in this area with 26% of high school students consistently binge drinking. In
Bexar County alone the 2007 Youth Risk Behavior Survey indicated 4.5% of the 1,274 participating students binge
drank at least three times in the previous 30 days. (Source: 2007 Youth Risk Behavior Survey) These statistics are
the crystal ball for alcohol and drug rehab counselors for many of the alcohol rehabilitation centers in San Antonio.
Drug rehabs in San Antonio and law enforcement report that cocaine addiction is a
problem with crack cocaine and powder cocaine being overly abundant in the area. In San Antonio powder cocaine
out distances crack cocaine drug rehab and treatment admissions significantly with nearly 800 adult cocaine
treatment admissions into San Antonio drug rehab centers. Additionally, approximately 42 juveniles were admitted
to treatment that same year for cocaine addiction.
Black tar heroin and Mexican brown heroin are overwhelmingly abundant for addicts seeking help in San Antonio
drug treatment programs. In 2007, there were 1,585 adult drug rehab treatment admissions to TCADA (Texas
Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse)-funded drug treatment programs in Bexar County for heroin addiction. Among the Bexar County adult addicts admitted to TCADA funded substance abuse
treatment programs in 2007, the average length of time between the addict's first time use of heroin and their
admission to drug rehab treatment was 13 years.
Marijuana is predominant in San Antonio with Mexican and hydroponic being the present. Hydroponic marijuana
sells anywhere from $3,000 to $5,000 a pound. 804 addicts were admitted for drug rehab treatment in Bexar
County in 2007 for marijuana or hashish addictions while 492 juveniles are admitted for treatment for marijuana
addiction that same year.
Domestic and crystal methamphetamine has been confiscated in San Antonio having street values of $700-$1,000
an ounce and $8,000-$12,000 for a pound. There were 285 admissions into San Antonio treatment centers for
methamphetamine addiction in 2007. Methamphetamine addiction is
a major source of San Antonio drug rehab treatment admissions.
