The front line of the war on drugs runs right through Arizona. The center of drug trafficking in the United States is found in Mexico, and every year thousands of tons of illicit drugs are smuggled through Arizona for distribution across North America. Cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, and every type of prescription drug are readily available on Arizona’s streets, but the state is fighting back through a combination of drug and alcohol treatment centers and a progressive attitude toward drug addiction treatment.

In 1996, Arizona became the first state to require treatment instead of jail time for first-time drug offenders. The cost to taxpayers formerly paid in incarcerating drug abusers has plummeted, while the availability of treatment centers and drug abuse programs in Arizona has skyrocketed. It is quite easy to find a program that can keep a minor drug or alcohol problem from escalating into a major addiction.

However, while Arizona drug and alcohol recovery centers abound, they may or may not be right for your particular problem. Every addict is different. No two experience addiction in the same way. The level of abuse may mandate different levels of care, and bodies severely debilitated by drugs or alcohol require close monitoring and a program that teaches nutrition and fitness right along with how to resist the temptation to relapse.

Drug treatment may begin with intervention from a qualified professional associated with a drug rehabilitation program or facility. This is followed by detoxification, which should always be closely monitored by medical personnel. Withdrawal can be painful and even life-threatening, so inpatient care should always be an option you consider. A fully-equipped facility which can offer such 24/7 close supervision should always be preferred over one that must contract out the detox process or does not offer any type of resident care.

An Arizona treatment facility may be your first choice, but it should not be your only choice. Often, sending an addict to a drug or alcohol treatment center completely removed from the local area is the most beneficial choice. An outpatient program lets the addict stray back to the friends, dealers, and street environment that enabled the abuse. An inpatient program removes him from temptation as well as from the distractions and stress of daily life outside the rehab center. Among a staff that can monitor her physical condition as well as teach her how to live without drugs or alcohol, the addict can come to terms with the addiction and learn how to move on.

Arizona’s determined fight against its drug problem means that getting help for substance abuse in Arizona is limited only by an addict’s determination to get help. Arizona law makes it easy for first-time drug offenders—drug treatment is required. For everyone else, the determination must come from within. Drug and alcohol treatment in Arizona is just a phone call or internet search away. Pick a treatment program that offers detox, counseling, and long-term behavior modification and support, and get going.