Treatment for drug abuse exceeds resources – Carlsbad Current-Argus

Treatment for drug abuse exceeds resources

Meth use declining while cocaine heroin and prescription drug abuse increasing

By Reid Wright Argus Staff Writer Posted: 09/09/2009 11:04:15 PM

MDTCARLSBAD — Individuals seeking treatment for methamphetamine dependency in Carlsbad have been in decline over the past few years while those seeking treatment for crack-cocaine, heroin and prescription drug dependency have been increasing, said Kirstin Carlson, of Carlsbad Mental Health Center.Meanwhile, in a parallel trend, federal drug seizures of meth in New Mexico have been reduced from 65 kilograms in 2006 to 35 kilograms in 2008. At the same time, heroin seizures have multiplied from 6 kilograms to 32 kilograms and cocaine seizures have reduced slightly from 672 kilograms to 602 kilograms, according to the DEA.The demand for treatment outweighs the capacity of treatment programs, Carlson said. And construction of a larger facility has been scaled-down and slowed by a lack of funding, Kenney Rayroux, Eddy County Human Resources director, said.”The real need is for medical detox space and for it to be regional,” he said. “Funding never materialized and it had to be scaled back. The Eddy County Commission has made allocations to keep the project moving forward.”