Crossroads Mission seeing increase in younger drug addicts seeking treatment

Drug addiction is a serious issue in Yuma and Crossroads Mission plays a crucial role in helping drug addicts receive the necessary treatment on their road to recovery.

However, the mission said its drug program is treating younger clients more than before.

Which is why they also have to adjust their treatment for the newer drugs being used.

Treatment Director, Cesar Acosta, revealed how just five years ago, the majority of the clients coming into the New Life drug treatment program were 30 to 40-year-olds addicted to meth.

While heroin has been on the rise in the past three years, Acosta said nearly 13 percent of the drug abusers now seeking treatment at the mission are younger people addicted to fentanyl.

He said, ” Two out of 16 people are coming in for fentanyl. Lately, we’ve been getting [people between the ages] 21 and 30 on average because of this fentanyl they’re using. We’re getting a lot of youth. ”

Due to these changes, Crossroads Mission is working to extend its four-month New Life program on a case-by-case basis to help better treat younger clients dealing with fentanyl addiction.

Recently, the staff was trained to treat fentanyl overdoses using an overdose prevention kit.

Acosta encourages parents and families to keep an overdose prevention kit in the household.

If you’d like to know where to find one near you, visit Sonoran Prevention Works or any Yuma Fire Department location.