Newark, New Jersey has a population of  273,546 with an average household size of 2.85¹ and is located in Essex County. The city is located about 5 miles west of Manhattan, 2 miles north of Staten Island, and is near the Atlantic Ocean on Newark Bay.

Like many of its surrounding cities in New Jersey, Newark saw major urban decline in the 20th Century. The crime rate was sky high and the middle class left the area in droves during the 70s and 80s.

During the 90s the city began to experience an renaissance, as did its surrounding cities in New Jersey. The New Jersey Performing Arts Center opened in 1997 at a cost of $180 million enticing over a million visitors to the area. Since then, the City built a couple of sports stadiums for their minor league teams as well as starting to refurbish the waterfront area. Newark unfortunately continues to have an ongoing drug problem.

Newark New Jersey's Drug Source
The DEA (The US Drug Enforcement Administration)² reports that cocaine remains the most popular drug in New Jersey and is the drug of choice for many abusers within the state. Crack remains readily available throughout the state and remains the drug of choice in many lower income communities.

Heroin is the most prevalent drug of abuse in the New Jersey area. Data provided by the State of New Jersey Department of Human Services – Division on Addiction Services disclosed that heroin is used by 18-25 year olds in New Jersey at more than twice the national average. Heroin accounted for more than 22,751 treatment admissions in 2006. This was 41% of all treatment admissions, with a three percent decrease from 2005.

Heroin’s high purity (among the highest in the nation as evidenced by the Domestic Monitor Program analyses) and low price has attracted numerous new users over the last few years, especially among adolescents in suburban areas. Although there has been a steady decrease in purity levels since 2003, heroin purity levels in the Newark area continue to be among the highest in the nation.

Methamphetamine is the most available and widely used clandestinely manufactured drug in the Southern New Jersey area. Methamphetamine traffickers are primarily of Mexican descent, with direct connections to violators in the western United States and Mexico. Methamphetamine availability has increased in the southern part of the state, allegedly due to the influx of Mexican suppliers.

Traditionally, methamphetamine production has been associated with Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs, independent chemists, and Traditional Organized Crime. Currently, crystal methamphetamine use and distribution in New Jersey appears to be closely associated with members of the Filipino community. Filipino traffickers are importing large amounts of methamphetamine from Mexico and the Philippines. The methamphetamine is converted to “ice” in the Los Angeles area and then transported to the New York/New Jersey area via motor vehicle. The ice is also shipped through various mail and parcel services. Due to successful enforcement actions, the ice is now sent to states off the usual trafficking routes and then transported by car to the New Jersey area.

Marijuana is the most readily available illicit drug in New Jersey. Marijuana is transported to the New Jersey area via automobiles, tractor- trailers, vessels, US Postal Service, overnight services, parcel post, and commercial air from Southwest Border States.

New Jersey has the highest concentration of pharmaceutical and chemical firms in the country. Doctor shopping, prescription forgery, and organized script rings remain the prevalent source of diverted legitimate pharmaceutical drugs in the New Jersey Division. Morris County has seen a rise in arrests for prescription fraud and unlawful possession of prescription medication. The most commonly abused pharmaceuticals are Percocet, OxyContin, Xanax, Vicodin/Vicodin ES, and Hydrocodone/Hydrocodone products. Additionally, the most commonly abused chemicals are GBL, Pseudoephedrine, and Ephedrine.  

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 Newark, 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 Jersey, and specifically in the city of Newark, 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.

Treatment Center Changes Needed
Just in the state of New Jersey, 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 Jersey and across the United States, a variety of techniques and methods are being used. Some of the well known treatment methods in New Jersey 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 Jersey, so making a decision can be difficult. Unfortunately, many uninformed people in New Jersey go from rehab to rehab looking for the one that is right for them.
In New Jersey, 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 Jersey 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 Newark, New Jersey, 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.

For individuals with a severe drug or alcohol addiction problem, choosing a long term inpatient treatment program is another key to a successful outcome.

By providing a new, safe trigger free environment, distanced from past negative associations and surroundings for an extended period of time, the chance for success increases dramatically.

Our program provides people with positive circumstances to increase their chances for a successful recovery. The vast majority of students entering our program, around (80%), are from out of state or from other countries.

• Who has completed the Narconon drug rehab program;
• Who knows he is, in fact, capable of living a drug-free life thereafter;
• Who has improved his or her ability to learn and thus can accept new ideas on how to change life for the better;
• Who has personally absorbed the fundamentals of ethics and morality well enough that he or she can be productive and contributive to society and will have no further troubles with the justice system;
• Who knows how to solve the problems of life in a rational manner to the best of his ability, without the use of mind-altering drugs.