Studies have been conducted by CCSA, The Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse, which relay the following alarming facts regarding addiction to drugs or alcohol. Approximately 30,000 or 3.2% of Nova Scotians are binge drinkers, who regularly consume a harmful amount of alcohol and are dependant on alcohol. The same studies indicate that 0.6% or 5,500 Nova Scotians are dependant on illicit drugs.
Some substances currently being abused in Nova Scotia include: Alcohol, Cocaine, Crack Cocaine, Crystal Meth, Heroin, Oxycontin, Ecstasy, Marijuana and Prescription Drugs. This list is intended to reflect the most comonly abused drugs there can be exceptions.
If one were in need of long-term rehabilitation he/she could be admitted to a halfway house or Salvation Army program in as little as one to two weeks but these are not rehabilitation programs. Rather, it is a sober living environment that has certain requirements: its occupants must be sober and attend alcoholics anonymous or narcotics anonymous meetings and undergo other types of ongoing therapy as well as seek out employment. It is a reintegration program rather than a rehabilitative program in a controlled environment.
There are somewhere in the neighborhood of 35,000 Nova Scotians in need of detoxification, intervention and drug rehab or alcohol rehab programs. There are a total of only three detox facilities and an additional 16 residential facilities each of which can accommodate approximately 40 addicts bringing the total number of available Government funded beds to around 640 beds to be divided amongst the 20,000 that are in need of addiction treatment in Nova Scotia.
All statistical info can be researched at: The Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse
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