As summer quickly approaches, the treatment specialists at Addiction Recovery Care (ARC) are reminding individuals and families to prioritize addressing challenges with substance use, even during the busy months.
Research suggests that rates of initial drug and alcohol use as well as addiction relapse may be higher in the summertime — due to increased exposure to substances coupled with peer pressures at frequent social gatherings. For example, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) statistics shows that more than 11,000 youth use alcohol for the first time on an average day in June and July, compared to approximately 7,000 in the other months of the year.
“With schools out and vacation schedules filling up quickly, it is easy to put off concerns for health and well-being this time of year,” said Vanessa Keeton, ARC Vice President for Marketing. “However, if someone you know is struggling with addiction, it is vital that we quickly help them identify this issue and connect them with potentially life-saving treatment.”
While encouraging new U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data found that Kentucky is making progress in fighting the addiction epidemic, a recently released study published by JAMA Psychiatry underscored the dramatic impact that the opioid crisis has had on families nationwide. The report showed that more than 321,500 children in the U.S. lost a parent to a drug overdose between 2011 and 2021.
As Kentucky’s largest and most comprehensive recovery provider, ARC is committed to helping to reverse tragic statistics like these. ARC operates a network of over 30 licensed addiction treatment centers in 25 counties across the Commonwealth.
ARC offers a full continuum of care for men and women, including: detox, residential, transitional, intensive outpatient, outpatient, medically assisted treatment, vocational rehabilitation, and job training.
“If you or a friend or family member are currently struggling with substance use disorder, please don’t wait to reach out for help,” added Keeton. “Our treatment professionals are standing by 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to meet you right where you are and guide you on a path toward hope and healing.”
For more information about the wide array of evidence-based addiction treatment services ARC provides, please visit ARCcenters.com.
