New Jersey has what they refer to as a serious “treatment gap” for alcoholism. In 2009, 471,000 people in this state of less than eight million were dependent on or abusing alcohol. Admissions to treatment for alcohol addiction increased steadily between 2006 and 2008, but by 2008, only 12,223 people who needed alcohol treatment found treatment within the State of New Jersey. This leaves approximately 450,000 people in the state who needed treatment and did not find it.

Unfortunately, the primary reason that people in New Jersey did not find treatment was that they did not consider that they needed it. The estimates on how many people were dependent were not derived by asking people if they were addicted to alcohol. They were formulated by comparing New Jersey residents’ answers about addiction to the standard criteria for alcohol dependence or abuse.

If you do feel you need treatment, there are more than 280 drug and alcohol treatment centers in New Jersey. Many utilize the Twelve Step program of Alcoholics Anonymous and many also offer medication-based treatments for either alcoholism or drug addiction. Medical-based treatments where an alcoholic is given a drug that will make him or her sick if they drink are based on the theory that an alcohol addiction will never be able to really overcome the addiction, so another drug (a medical drug this time) is the only thing that will enable them to stay sober. Later in this article, the way that alcohol addicts can truly learn to live an alcohol-free life will be described.

The great majority of treatment options in New Jersey are out-patient, which makes recovery hard for those who need full-time support to stay clean and sober between treatment sessions. The usual triggers — the places, people or situations that cause them to crave alcohol – are all still present and surround the person who desperately wishes for recovery, morning, noon and night. With an inpatient alcoholism program, a recovering alcoholic has support and supervision to fill the gap until his or her own desires for alcohol diminish.

Alcohol Admissions on the Increase

Between 2006 and 2008, admissions for alcoholism alone increased from 9,851 to 12,223. Admissions to treatment for alcohol with a secondary drug increased from 7,036 to nearly 8,900. In all, alcohol accounted for 32 percent of all admissions to treatment in New Jersey.

Reference: http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/statelocal/nj/nj.pdf

As in every other state, people die in New Jersey of alcohol poisoning and traffic accidents. In Mahwah, New Jersey, near the New York state line, officials at Ramapo College banned alcoholic beverages that were being marketed as “energy drinks.” These canned drinks had three times the alcohol of a beer and were twice as big. They also contained high doses of caffeine which have the dangerous effect of keeping a drunk person from feeling sleepy, which they might do when they reach a certain level of intoxication. Instead of stopping drinking due to sleepiness, the person using these “energy drinks” would not feel as drunk as normal and might have too great a confidence in his reaction time. The drinks are also fruit flavored, meaning the drinker could down it quickly without feeling overwhelmed by the alcohol content.

State officials protested that the drinks were being marketed heavily to young people who were not drinking for the enjoyment of the drink but rather to get drunk as quickly and cheaply as possible (the drinks are priced at less than $3 each but provide the equivalent of a six-pack’s worth of alcohol).

Ramapo College’s ban came after 16 students were hospitalized for alcohol poisoning in a short period of 2010, most of them after using these drinks.

Reference: http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2010/10/15/ramapo-college-bans-alcoholic-energy-drink/

Alcohol is in Third Place as a Killer

In the metropolitan area that includes Northern New Jersey and part of Long Island, opioids and cocaine were the top drug-death killers. Right after that is alcohol. In 2008, 292 people lost their lives in incidents that involved alcohol. Another 36 people committed suicide while they were intoxicated.

Reference: http://dawninfo.samhsa.gov/files/ME2008/ME08NYtoNY.pdf

Narconon Drug and Alcohol Rehabilitation Program Can Help with the Kinds of Problems Experienced in New Jersey

The Narconon alcoholism recovery program has been helping alcoholics from coast to coast, enabling them to achieve addiction-free lives at last. With its long-term, in-patient program that utilizes no medications as part of the treatment, alcoholics find that they are able to leave their addictions behind and find a stable, lasting sobriety.

The Narconon program accomplishes this by offering a program that gets to the bottom of the reasons a person began to drink in the first place. It could have been that they were a young person looking for excitement or someone who needed to cover up their anxiety or stress. When life skills are developed that enable a person to face life’s changes and challenges with clarity and understanding, that person no longer needs to drink.

From reducing or eliminating cravings to providing better decision-making skills, the Narconon program has helped thousands of alcoholics find a new sobriety that stayed stable after they went home. In fact, seven out of ten addicts who chose the Narconon program for recovery stayed clean and sober after they graduated and returned to their lives.

Find out what the Narconon program can do for you or your loved one who needs help. Call now at 800-468-6933.