Parma is a medium-sized city just south of Cleveland that currently has a population of just under 80,000. Due to its proximity to Cleveland, Parma has a very serious drug epidemic that is ongoing. While opioids are a major issue in Parma, many other drugs are prevalent as well. That being said, there are still plentiful opportunities for recovery from addiction in Parma. If someone is struggling with substance abuse in the city, entering a Parma alcohol and drug rehab is often the first step towards a better life free from addiction.
Substance Abuse In Parma
Along with the rest of Ohio, Parma has had a consistent heroin problem for many years now. While the rate of heroin use has remained high but fairly steady over the last few years, the rate of crystal meth, marijuana, Suboxone, and gabapentin use has been increasing steadily. Setting aside the increase in certain drugs, some of the most commonly abused substances in Parma include alcohol, marijuana, crack, heroin, cocaine, benzodiazepines, and crystal meth. While heroin and fentanyl are extremely common and easy to get, prescription opioids have been decreasing, although they remain available in fairly large amounts at this time. The Ohio Automated Rx Reporting System has played a large part in the slow decrease in prescription opioid availability, although Suboxone is an outlier in that it remains readily available.
A worrying trend in Parma is the increasingly common use of dangerous cutting agents or adulterants in drugs in the area. While drugs such as levamisole and triacetin have been used as cutting agents n cocaine for years, the introduction of atropine and phenacetin is concerning, as atropine is a powerful drug that can alter heart function and phenacetin is known to cause kidney disease. Aside from powdered cocaine, these drugs have also been found as cutting agents in crack. Some newer cutting agents found in heroin near Parma include the drug xylazine, an animal tranquilizer and known to cause serious tissue damage when injected in humans.
Parma is a major drug trafficking hub in Ohio as well, due to its location at a nexus of the major interstates I-71, I-77, and I-80. It is also fairly close to I-90 and is within miles of the coast, with easy access to Canada across Lake Erie. Parma’s location coupled with the ready-made distribution network of the US interstate system makes it an attractive location for drug trafficking organizations. There is a significant amount of marijuana, heroin, and crack that makes its way through Parma, and a substantial amount of PCP moves through Parma on its way to Philadelphia. This is performed mainly by local street gangs on behalf of larger, international drug trafficking organizations such as Mexican cartels.
Parma’s Response To Substance Abuse
While the drug use, trafficking, and opioid overdose epidemic is significant in Parma, the community has pulled together to provide resources for people struggling with substance abuse, addiction, and mental health issues. These include non-profit organizations, community service providers, and government programs intended to reduce the damage that drugs and mental health issues are causing in Parma. These programs include overdose prevention resources, drug and alcohol detox centers, substance abuse treatment programs, and crisis centers which can provide desperately needed help for people who are struggling. Even though the city of Parma and Cuyahoga County have marshaled significant resources to combat this epidemic, more help and resources are desperately needed. Just a few of the helpful resources that are currently available include:
- Alcohol, Drug Addiction & Mental Health Services Board of Cuyahoga County: This community service board provides a wealth of resources for substance abuse and mental health issues. They include a “Search By Service” page to help someone find the help they may need.
- NEXT Distro – Ohio: This is an overdose prevention organization that provides naloxone training programs and offers a service to have naloxone mailed to your home.
- State of Ohio Board of Pharmacy: This government site provides a searchable directory of pharmacies that dispense naloxone without a prescription throughout Ohio. There are over a dozen listings in Parma.
- The Centers for Families and Children: A substance abuse and mental health community service center, they are also a Project DAWN location that provides naloxone kits. Their Southwest Office is located in Parma and can be reached at 440-888-0300.
- ZOE House: 216-465-9030 A shelter for women with newborn children that provides a variety of services including shelter, food, and other types of assistance.
Drug and Alcohol Detox & Rehab in Parma
Detox is often the first step towards long-term recovery, and it may be necessary in certain cases. While most drugs produce uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms, a few drugs can lead to dangerous or even fatal complications if someone stops using them suddenly. Getting help from a Parma detox center may be necessary to safely detox from particular drugs and make it through the withdrawal process safely and comfortably. At Ohio Addiction Recovery Center, our Parma drug and alcohol detox can provide medical supervision and care while detox is completed, and our drug and alcohol rehab in Parma can help someone continue the journey after detox. Recovery may be difficult, but with competent, professional help it is possible. We provide some of the latest and most effective therapies to help our clients change their lives and break free from drug and alcohol addiction.
Addiction Recovery In Parma
We encourage our clients to begin developing new relationships with people in recovery while they are undergoing treatment at our Parma drug rehab program, as making new friendships with others who are on the same journey can be extremely powerful and helpful. While we can assist someone to begin walking the road to recovery, this is a long road, and the more help someone has, the better their chances are for achieving long-term recovery. Thankfully, there are many different recovery support groups all over Parma and the surrounding areas. Finding a recovery fellowship where someone can relate and identify can provide support and encouragement, and meeting people with similar drugs of choice or similar life experiences can help someone get through particular issues that not everyone has gone through. Some of the recovery support groups in Parma include:
- Alcoholics Anonymous: An AA meeting finder for the Cleveland area, they currently list over 10 meetings per week in Parma.
- Narcotics Anonymous: This site provides an NA meeting locator that currently lists 3 meetings per week in Parma, although there are many more in the surrounding areas.
- Cocaine Anonymous: A CA meeting directory near Parma, there are currently no CA meetings in Parma itself, but there are many in nearby Cleveland.
- Heroin Anonymous: An HA meeting locator, they currently have no meetings listed in Parma, but there are 9 meetings within a short drive from Parma.
- Crystal Meth Anonymous: A CMA meeting finder, there are currently no meetings in Parma itself, but there is one in Kent just to the Southeast.
The recovery fellowships listed above are based on the 12-steps, although there are other roads to recovery as well. Some approaches to recovery work better for certain people, and as long as the destination is health and happiness, it seldom matters how we get there. Some of these non-12-step recovery fellowships near Parma include:
- Recovery Dharma: A Buddhist-oriented recovery fellowship, they currently only have 1 in-person meeting near Parma, although they have virtual meetings every day of the week, multiple times a day.
- SMART Recovery: There is currently 1 Self Management And Recovery Training meeting in Parma each week, although there are many more nearby.
- Celebrate Recovery: A Christian-based recovery program, they currently have 4 meetings each week within 10 miles of downtown Parma.
Aside from support groups for people who struggle with addiction themselves, there are also groups for the friends and families of people who are struggling. While they may not have a drug or alcohol issue themselves, living with someone battling addiction can be a difficult and sometimes even traumatic experience. These groups can be extremely helpful to someone in this situation as they can share the experience, strength, and hope of others who have experienced the same thing, and made it through the other side. Some of these groups include:
- Al-Anon: A support group for someone whose loved one is struggling with alcohol or drugs, Al-Anon currently has 5 meetings per week in Parma, and many more in nearby towns.
- Nar-Anon: A support group for the loved ones of people struggling with drug addiction, they currently have 1 meeting per week in Parma itself, and 3 more within 25 miles of Parma.
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