District of Columbia alcohol and drug rehab addiction treatment Information

The nation’s capital has been the location of drug abuse for far too long.  Most of the violence in Washington D.C. can be directly tied to drugs use and distribution.  Drug abuse in District of Columbia has become an ever growing problem with little solution.  Approximately 60,000 DC residents are addicted to alcohol and other drugs.  Approximately 53,000 (11%) of Washington citizens (ages 12 or older) reported past month use of an illicit drug.  20,000 (4.25%) Washington citizens reported illicit drug dependence or abuse within the past year. Approximately 16,000 (3.33%) reported past year illicit drug dependence. Everyone in the District of Columbia is being affected by the growing amount of drug abuse.  If effective drug treatment is not used for the individual abusing drugs in Washington D.C., the drug addiction problem will only spread.

The District of Columbia’s large international population provides insulation for ethnic drug trafficking groups from almost every major supply country in the world and the suburbs surrounding the city provide a steady supply of customers. There are various drugs readily available in the District of Columbia, with cocaine, especially in the crack form, being the most significant threat. Cocaine and crack are the most significant drug problems in Washington D.C. Despite several consecutive years of decline in violent, drug-related crime, the violence associated with the crack trade in the city remains high. Crack cocaine was involved in more than 40% of the drug offenses.  There are a consistent flow of customers for the cocaine coming from either Maryland or Virginia.

The District of Columbia has a significant heroin problem; the heroin is readily available. Heroin suppliers set up heroin spots catering to specific user populations. The markets located along commuter routes into the city peddle high purity heroin to suburban abusers, while the spots situated near methadone clinics and those co-existing with open-air markets tend to service long-term addicts with lower purity heroin. Most of the heroin encountered in the District of Columbia is from South America.  Heroin from South Asia has also been found. 

PCP is readily available throughout Washington D.C. There is a limited availability of Methamphetamine in the District of Columbia.  The methamphetamine found in DC usually comes from California via overnight or regular mail delivery services. 

Marijuana is the most widely abused of all drugs in the District, crossing socioeconomic, age and ethnic lines. It is readily available in qualities and quantities ranging from “nickel bags” of loose, commercial-grade product to hundred-pound quantities of high grade marijuana.

With the significant amount of drug abuse in the District of Columbia, there is a need for a drug rehab program that really works.  Approximately 16,000 (3.25%) DC citizens reported needing but not receiving treatment for illicit drug use within the past year.  If we don't educate the people of DC, the problem will only continue to get worse.