Expert Insights
Montgomery, Alabama is looking to overcome its opioid overdose epidemic. The Attorney General is one of the leaders on the Alabama Opioid Overdose and Addiction Council. They met seeking strategies to overcome the complex issue, inviting a variety of professionals that ranged from health experts, community experts, and legal experts. They also invited law enforcement representatives and social workers to attend the meeting. Some are working to prevent overdoses, while others are working to treat them. I can only hope that productive and life-saving ideas come out of this meeting, as it is vital that we develop solutions.
~ Nikki Seay
Cost of Drug Rehab in Montgomery
Multiple factors contribute to the cost of drug and alcohol rehab in Montgomery, such as what type of facility you want to use, whether you have health insurance coverage, and what the cost of living is in the area you’re looking to attend treatment.
Many ways exist to raise funds for treatment, such as crowdfunding, taking out a loan, or asking friends or family for help. If those options don’t work, you can look for Montgomery drug rehabs and programs that offer services to those without the resources to pay for care.
Montgomery, AL Alcohol and Drug Use Statistics
Alabama has had an increasing rate of drug-related crime, overdoses, and admissions to the ER. Recent community health information from the Alabama Opioid Overdose and Addiction Council and the CDC data shows:1,2

Drug-induced deaths rose 30% in Montgomery County between 2018 and 2020

Montgomery County had a drug overdose death rate of 59.7 in 2020.

Montgomery County has the lowest overdose rate of all counties in Alabama.

In 2020, Alabama saw a 20% jump in its overdose rates.
Drug and Alcohol Laws in Alabama
The state of Alabama is home to myriad organizations to battle drug-related overdoses and crime and has taken steps to enable citizens and emergency responders to join in the fight.
Compact to Fight Opioid Addiction Initiative: In cooperation with 45 other governors, including those of Guam and Puerto Rico, Alabama, on July 13, 2016, created a series of policies to stop opiate misuse.12 These policies include stricter prescription regulations, providing drug education to communities across the nation, and creating routes to recovery for people struggling with addiction, such as funding rehab scholarship programs.
HB208 Naloxone Dispensing Initiative: In order to enable community members to help each other when witnessing or experiencing an overdose, the state enacted HB208. This law allows doctors and pharmacists to prescribe naloxone to anyone related to a person addicted to opiates or prescribed opiate medication to be dispensed in the event of an overdose.13
Pharmacists are required to provide basic administration education, and the law sets aside extra training for law enforcement officials as to how to administer naloxone. This law was amended with HB379 the following year to add registered nurses and firefighters to the list of approved individuals to be supplied with and administer naloxone.14
Resources
- FindTreatment.gov. (n.d.). FindTreatment.gov.
- Center for Disease Control. (2022). CDCWonder.
- Alabama Department of Mental Health. (April 21, 2021). Press Release: OPIOID OVERDOSE DEATHS INCREASE IN 2020.
- Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (2022). Eligibility.
- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration. (2022). Treatment Locator.
- Center for Substance Abuse Treatment. Substance Abuse: Clinical Issues in Intensive Outpatient Treatment. Rockville (MD): Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (US); (2006). Chapter 3. Intensive Outpatient Treatment and the Continuum of Care.
- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2022). Medication-Assisted Treatment.
- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2022). Methadone.
- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2022). Buprenorphine.
- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2022). Naltrexone.
- National Alliance on Mental Illness. (2022). Antabuse.
- National Alliance on Mental Illness. (2022). Acamprosate.
- Alabama Office of Inspector General. (November 2019). FACTSHEET: Alabama’s Oversight of Opioid Prescribing and Monitoring of Opioid Use.
- Alabama Department of Public Health. (March 10, 2015). HB208.
- Alabama Department of Public Health. (March 8, 2016). HB379.