Expert Insights
There are a lot of things you can look at to learn about a city. Did you know one of those things is the city’s wastewater? A 2022 study revealed that Shreveport’s wastewater has twice as much meth in it than anywhere else in the country. Wow. Not just a little bit more, but double the amount. Clearly, methamphetamine use is an issue in this city – probably more than most people realize. Shreveport social services, lawmakers, and influencers need to turn their attention to this issue and pour resources into solutions. With double the amount of meth, we need double the efforts to solve the problem.
~ Kerry Nenn
Cost of Drug Rehab in Shreveport
The cost of drug and alcohol rehab in Louisiana depends on multiple aspects. If you need a high level of care, such as daily medical supervision, you can expect higher costs. Residential costs are higher than outpatient programming because you live in the facility while attending treatment. Your location, medical needs, and health insurance coverage are the main determining factors in what program will be best for you.
If you want to save on costs, you can utilize telehealth programs that tend to offer lower-cost services and higher levels of convenience. Telehealth programs use voice and video calls with your therapy team and approved participants, such as for family therapy. You can also access medical care online through telehealth services, such as taking initial and ongoing assessments and mental health checks from your computer or smartphone.
Louisiana Drug and Alcohol Statistics
Shreveport is seated in Louisiana’s Caddo Parish and had a population of just over 237,000 in 2020. Agencies such as the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) collect data on drug overdoses, rehab admissions, and other addiction-related data. According to recent studies:1,2
Louisiana has experienced a 44% rise in rehab admissions among those aged 12 and older.
There were 27 drug-related overdose deaths in Caddo Parish in 2020.
There were 39 alcohol-induced deaths in Caddo Parish in 2020.
Don’t become a statistic— reach out for help if you’re struggling with addiction.
Alcohol and Drug Laws in Louisiana
Louisiana has laws in place to help people struggling with addiction.
Naloxone Access and Training Laws: In Shreveport, you can request a Naloxone overdose reversal kit without a prescription and be provided on-the-spot training to use it under Act 192.5 In addition to training on how to administer the life-saving medication, you must also be trained on how to recognize an overdose, and emergency follow-up procedures, which include calling 911.
Good Samaritan Overdose Law: Another aspect of Act 192 is the protection for those that administer Naloxone as well as those that call 911, even if they have illegal substances or another drug-related crime.5
Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA): Under federal law, most companies in Shreveport must allow their employees to take up to twelve weeks off work to seek medical treatment.6 Employers must offer returning employees the same position or a similar position with the same or higher pay when they return and are prohibited from discriminating based on a drug or alcohol addiction.
Resources
- Shreveport, Louisiana Population 2020 (Demographics, Maps, Graphs). (n.d.). Worldpopulationreview.com.
- FindTreatment.gov. (n.d.). FindTreatment.gov.
- Center for Disease Control. (2022). CDCWonder Tool.
- Department of Health and Human Services. (2022). Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS) 2019 (Revised).
- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services 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.
- Louisiana Legislation. (2015 accessed 2022). House Bill No. 210, Act 192.
- U.S. Department of Labor. (2022). FMLA: General Guidance.
