Georgia Drug Rehab

Top 8 cities in Georgia

Drugs and Drug Rehab Centers

Drug Situation: Historically, the southeastern United States, especially the Atlanta metropolitan area, has been an important transshipment center for the movement of illicit drugs. The web of interstate highways, airports, trains, and buses facilitate easy access to other drug markets and stash sites. However, the role of Georgia, and especially Atlanta, has changed dramatically to both a transshipment center and a local distribution center for Mexico-based drug trafficking organizations making the number of addicts needing drug addiction treatment greater.

Cocaine: Cocaine is one of the major drugs of choice for abusers seeking drug addiction treatment throughout the Southeast, and is readily available at both the wholesale and retail levels. The U.S. Mexico Border and South Florida continue to be the primary source areas for the cocaine seized in Georgia. Mexico-based traffickers control the majority of cocaine transported into the state. Crack cocaine is also a serious problem within Georgia and is the drug of choice of many entering drug rehab centers there.

Heroin: Heroin availability remains stable in the Atlanta area and is available in other cities within Georgia. The primary retail distribution center for heroin in Atlanta is the “Bluff” section of the city. Colombian, Mexican, and Nigerian traffickers, located primarily in the northeastern part of the United States, are reported to be sources of supply for heroin in Georgia. The Port of Savannah is a target for Colombian heroin traffickers. The number of heroin addicts entering drug rehab centers is on the rise.

Methamphetamine: Mexico-based traffickers control the market for imported methamphetamine in Georgia. While domestic methamphetamine is available, the majority of the methamphetamine seized has originated from Mexico, California, and Texas. Atlanta is the first-level source of supply for Mexican controlled methamphetamine. For this reason, the number of those seeking drug addiction treatment for methamphetamine abuse remains high. Dalton, Georgia, is the originating location for Mexican controlled methamphetamine in the Macon area.

Club Drugs: The most popular Club Drugs abused in Georgia are MDMA and GHB. Atlanta is often a transit city for Ecstasy couriers from Europe to other U.S. cities. Ecstasy is readily available in Atlanta’s nightclubs; however, “Rave” parties and concerts targeting a younger population are minimal.

Marijuana: Marijuana remains the most widely abused drug in Georgia. Mexican controlled drugs are transported to the area from the Southwest Border with Mexican nationals controlling the vast majority of all imported marijuana within Georgia.

Other Drugs: Oxycontin abuse is occurring, however, it does not appear to be as prevalent in the State of Georgia as it is in neighboring states, such as South Carolina. Many in addiction treatment centers report abusing club drugs, marijuana or prescription medications such as oxycontin in addition to their drug of choice.

DEA Mobile Enforcement Teams: This cooperative program with state and local law enforcement counterparts was conceived in 1995 in response to the overwhelming problem of drug-related violent crime in towns and cities across the nation. There have been 359 deployments completed resulting in over 14,456 arrests of violent drug criminals as of April 1, 2002. A recent deployment to College Park, GA, began on January 7, 2002, at the request of the College Park Chief of Police. The targets of the deployment were mid-level crack cocaine dealers. These crack dealers were extremely violent and controlled their distribution areas with murder, other forms of violence, threats and extortion. The deployment resulted in four arrests, seizures exceeding a half kilogram of crack, 3,000 tablets of MDMA, 286.5 grams of marijuana, 52 grams of cocaine HCl, one Cadillac Escalade, and over $17,000 in cash. Eleven indictments have been prepared for presentation to a federal grand jury and the deployment terminated on May 3, 2002.

Other Enforcement Operations: The Atlanta High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) was established by the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) in 1995, with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) as the administrating agency. The Atlanta HIDTA’s mission is two fold; it targets both drugs and violence within DeKalb County, Fulton County, and the city of Atlanta. There are 13 agencies participating in the Atlanta HIDTA, seven of which are federal agencies. There are three DEA Special Agents, one supervisor, three DEA analysts, and one supervisory analyst position allocated to the initiative.

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