Expert Insights
Tucson’s Pima County Health Department recently confirmed the city could be on pace to set another record for opioid overdose deaths. And much like many other cities around the nation, fentanyl is the driver of those overdose fatalities. Many other drugs that used to claim thousands of lives in the area – drugs like methamphetamine, cocaine and heroin – are still an issue, but fentanyl is by far the most widely abused. Why is that? Well, fentanyl is cheap…and the price just keeps going down. The more the price falls, the more widely available this deadly drug becomes.
~ Olivia Pennelle
How to Pay for Addiction Treatment in Tucson
In Tucson, 16 state-funded programs and groups receive the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration (SAMHSA) block grant to provide services to those without the funds to finance treatment.1 You can find resources and referrals by reaching out to your local social services programs or the rehab facilities directly.
If you have no access to private or publicly funded health insurance, there are still other options to consider. For example, friends and family may be able to help you come up with funds. You can also try crowdsourcing or fundraising online.
There are still several other ways to make rehab more affordable and ease the financial burden of treatment, including:
Choose a Program that Offers Payment Plans: A rehab payment plan splits up the cost of treatment into manageable portions you can pay after treatment, usually on a weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly basis. These plans include a repayment contract with any applicable interest rate. Ask your chosen rehab if this is an option to help pay for rehab in Tucson.
Apply for a Rehab Scholarship: A scholarship may be available as the rehab’s financial assistance to pay for part or all of your care. This option is generally reserved for people who need addiction support and who have no access to self-pay funding or state or private insurance. Call your desired rehab to ask if it offers rehab scholarships.
Find a Sliding-Scale Rehab Program: Sliding-scale programs calculate the fee for service based on your income. Program requirements may vary, but these calculations are typically based on federal poverty guidelines.
How Does Tucson Compare in Alcohol and Drug Use?
Tucson is the second largest city in Arizona, located about an hour’s drive north of the US-Mexico border. Being in close proximity to border, Mexican cartels consistently flood Arizona with opioids. In fact, in 2021, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection confirmed fentanyl was being trafficked more than heroin for the first time in U.S. history.16
Playing a pivotal role in the city’s fight against addiction, there are 76 accredited alcohol and drug rehabs in Tucson offering sliding scale, Medicare, Medicaid, or private insurance payment options.
Local emergency responders, emergency rooms, and other public health entities compile data from around the county to give an accurate snapshot of the area’s current public health status. These reports show that the community has a dire problem with substance abuse, particularly opioids and fentanyl.
Statistics of note include:2,3
The rate of overdoses increased 34% between 2019 and 2020, with most attributed to fentanyl.
One in five adults reported binge drinking at least once in the past 30 days when surveyed
Overdose deaths in 2019 were most often caused by methamphetamine, fentanyl, and heroin.
Alcohol and Drug Laws in Arizona
Multiple laws and bills have been enacted in response to the opioid crisis and other substance abuse issues in Arizona.
Arizona Marchman’s Act: When a family member or loved one is suspected of having a life-threatening addiction, it is possible to forcibly commit the individual into a rehab program in Arizona under the Marchman’s Act.12 This controversial law states that if a person presents a threat to himself or herself, or to others; has a disability related to the substance use; or refuses to enter substance abuse treatment, a concerned party over age 18 may apply to have the person placed into a court-ordered rehab program.
Arizona Opioid Epidemic Act: This multi-bill act created a series of opioid use interventions. These include providing naloxone (Narcan) to first responders to prevent overdoses and limiting how much and how often opiates can be prescribed.13
Arizona Good Samaritan Overdose Prevention Law: Arizona enacted overdose prevention measures in the form of a Good Samaritan law as part of the Opioid Epidemic Act. This law encourages people to call 911 if they’re in the vicinity of an overdose without fear of prosecution for doing so.
A similar law, the Angel Initiative, allows drug users to turn themselves and any paraphernalia in at a police station to be admitted into rehab services without fear of being incarcerated for possession.13
Parents’ Rights in Arizona: No statutes dictate a minor over the age of 12 needs parental permission to undergo any medical treatment. However, a bill was passed that allows for minors to seek substance abuse treatment without parental consent if a doctor confirms the minor is under the influence of a narcotic.14
Arizona Family Medical Leave: Under the federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), Arizona companies with more than 50 employees must offer unpaid time off to any employee in a medical crisis, including the need for addiction treatment. Employers may not discriminate against employees who enter rehab and must provide them the same or a similar position when they return.15
Searching for “drug rehab(s) near me” or “alcohol rehab(s) near me” can be an overwhelming process. Get the help you need, today – contact
800-681-1058
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any time if you need help figuring out your next steps.
Resources
- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services. (2022). Treatment Locator Map.
- Pima County Data and Reporting. (2019). Pima County Overdose Fatality Review Annual Report 2019.
- Pima County Health Department. (2021). 2021 Pima County Community Health Needs Assessment Fact Sheet.
- National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2022). How long does drug addiction treatment usually last?
- National Library of Medicine. (2018). Dual Diagnosis in Depression: Treatment Recommendations.
- National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2010). Comorbidity: Addiction and Other Mental Illnesses.
- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. (2022). Treatment of Co-Occurring PTSD and Substance Use Disorder in VA.
- National Institute of Health. (2020). Traumatic Events in Dual Disorders: Prevalence and Clinical Characteristics.
- National Library of Medicine. (2017). Bipolar disorder and substance use disorders.
- National Library of Medicine. (2018). Comorbidity of Personality Disorder among Substance Use Disorder Patients: A Narrative Review.
- Tucson Conventions and Visitors Bureau. (2022). Research and Data.
- National Alliance on Mental Illness. (2022). Involuntary Treatment Process.
- Arizona Office of the Governor. (2018). Arizona Opioid Epidemic Act.
- Arizona State Legislature. (2022). 44-133.01. The capacity of a minor to consent to treatment for use of a dangerous drug or narcotic.
- U.S. Department of Labor. (2022). Family and Medical Leave Act.
- U.S. Customs and Border Protection. (2022). Drug Seizure Statistics FY2021
