Bangor, Maine Drug Abuse Rehab

Bangor, Maine, Alcohol and Drug Addiction Information

Bangor, Maine has a population of  31,473 with an average household size of 2.121 and is located in Penobscot County. Bangor is approximately 30 miles from Penobscot Bay up the Penobscot River at its confluence with the Kenduskeag Stream. It is connected by bridge to the neighboring city of Brewer. Bangor’s nickname is The Queen City to the East.

The city offers dozens of historical monuments, museums and art galleries. The University of Maine of Art is located in Norumbega Hall in downtown Bangor with several important pieces of art including pieces by Winslow Homer, Berenice Abbott and John Marin. There are several performing arts venues . The Bangor Symphony Orchestra was founded in 1896, and is the oldest continually operating symphony orchestra in the United States. The Bangor Band was founded in 1859 and has been performing continually since then and currently offers free weekly concerts in the city’s parks during the summer.

The Bangor State Fair, one of the country’s oldest fairs has been running the last Friday of each July for more than 150 years. The City also holds the National Folk Festival, the newly created American Folk Festival, The Kenduskeag Stream Canoe Race and a Paul Bunyon marathon. The city also has an ongoing drug problem.

Bangor Maine’s Drug Source

The DEA (The US Drug Enforcement Administration)2 reports that marijuana continues to be the most commonly abused drug in Maine and reports indicate that it is the gateway drug for teens and young adults to experiment with other illicit drugs. High-grade marijuana is available due to modern indoor cultivation techniques. Locally grown marijuana is usually intended for local consumption; however, the cheaper Mexico-produced product has made local production less profitable.

Cocaine, primarily crack, is the predominant drug threat in Maine. The threat is derived from the high rate of addiction and violence associated with the drug. Cocaine is widely available and frequently distributed across the state. Cocaine abuse is reported in the metropolitan cities and rural areas. The abuse and distribution of cocaine is associated with many incidents involving violent crimes. Most of the powdered cocaine transported into Maine is converted into crack cocaine.

Heroin is considered a low drug threat in most of Maine, except in New Orleans, primarily due to availability and cost. Heroin abuse in Maine, especially New Orleans, is historically cyclical.

Methamphetamine continues to be a major drug threat in Maine. Law enforcement reporting indicates that, in some areas, methamphetamine is replacing crack cocaine as the primary drug threat due to its availability, low cost and long lasting effects. Methamphetamine production and distribution generates violent crimes and hazardous conditions.

Though most drugs are either declining or holding steady in their abuse or distribution, “Club Drug” abuse and distribution among teenagers and young adults is on the rise in Maine. Police and treatment counselors throughout the state report an increase in the availability and abuse of MDMA (ecstasy), Ketamine, Rohypnol, LSD, and GHB. GHB and MDMA are the drugs of choice and the end-users are young Caucasians at all economic levels.

The abuse of pharmaceutical drugs continues to rise at an alarming rate. Law enforcement officials report OxyContin, hydrocodone and Xanax abuse continues to be a viable threat. Pharmaceutical drugs are diverted as a means of distribution into the illicit market. Abusers and distributors acquire pharmaceutical drugs via prescription forgeries and/or “doctor shopping” in the diversion process. Some of the diverted pharmaceutical drugs are brought into Maine from Mexico and Southwestern Border cities usually by Caucasian local independent distributors. Many abusers utilize the Internet to obtain prescription drugs from sources throughout the United States, Europe, Canada, and the Caribbean. Methadone overdoses have risen significantly in the past few years. Pain management clinics have opened in every major city in the state and pose an enormous threat to the communities; however, after a major seizure in late 2005, the threat in the New Orleans area has reduced. The pain management clinics that are illegally prescribing narcotics to addicts are considered a “pill mill.” Lousisana has instituted new laws for opening pain management clinics in an effort to curtail the threat in the communities.

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 Bangor, 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.

Drug Related News Stories from Bangor, Maine

Drug sales near school leads to arrest
Bangor woman sentenced on federal drug charges
Heroin dealers gets prison time
ATF agents charge Eddington man with lying on firearm application

The Damage to Society

In the State of Maine, and specifically in the city of Bangor, 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 Maine, 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 Maine and across the United States, a variety of techniques and methods are being used. Some of the well known treatment methods in Maine 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 Maine, so making a decision can be difficult. Unfortunately, many uninformed people in Maine go from rehab to rehab looking for the one that is right for them.

In Maine, 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 Maine 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 Bangor, Maine, 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. 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.

Narconon Riverbend helps END addiction and alcoholism FOR GOOD.

Narconon Riverbend produces graduates who are DRUG FREE AND CONTRIBUTING MEMBERS OF SOCIETY. Narconon Riverbend has a success rate in excess of 70%, as compared to 15-20% for more traditional treatments. Narconon Riverbend is a long-term treatment facility, something that is more and more vital in fully handling the onslaught of newer and more potent substances, including a dramatic increase in prescription drug abuse.

The Narconon program steps are entirely drug-free; that is, the Narconon drug rehab program does not use drugs or medications to solve the problems caused by drugs, but does use nutrition and nutritional supplements as an important component of its delivery. Thus the program is neither a psychiatric nor medical, but a social education model of rehabilitation.

A Narconon Program Graduate is someone:

• 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.

Click to see PDF of brochure now.Call now and request a copy of Healing Addicted Lives written by Gary W. Smith, Certified Chemical Dependency Counselor and Director of Narconon Arrowhead Drug and Alcohol Rehabilitation and Education Center.
Call anytime to speak with one of our counselors about our program. We will take the time to answer your questions whether it be for yourself or a loved one. It is possible to replace the loss and pain of alcohol or drug addiction with a productive, enjoyable life.
Call now (877) 340-3602.
¹  Bangor stats courtesy of http://www.maps-n-stats.com/ (Link to Data)
²  DEA Website facts for Maine