Huntington Beach is one of the most beautiful and best-kept communities in Orange County. Called “Surf City” by the locals, it’s home to the US Open of Surfing every year. Professional volleyball tours come through the beach annually, too. There are great restaurants like Sandy’s, Duke’s and Captain Jack’s. The city’s also home to major companies, like Boeing, that employ hundreds of people.
While Huntington Beach is beautiful, people there often feel that they’re under a lot of pressure. Kids are expected to do very well in very competitive schools. Athletes push themselves to make weight, move a little bit faster or lift a little bit heavier. And those high-paying jobs can come with high pressure, too. Because of these and other factors, it’s not unusual for Huntington Beach residents to find themselves struggling with addiction.
Huntington Beach has strict rules about the public consumption of alcohol and other drugs. For example, no alcohol, smoking or drugs are allowed on its famous pier and beaches. Though this is designed to prevent issues, things do still happen. The police force does encounter people who use in public, especially on and near the beach.
It’s not uncommon to see stories of people being arrested for combinations like public intoxication and indecent exposure. Usually, it’s nothing more than someone drinking too much and running naked on the beach. These incidents are embarrassing, but generally nothing gets hurt except someone’s pride.
Drunk driving can be another matter altogether. In 2018, an intoxicated driver killed three teens who were visiting Huntington Beach on their spring break. This was a tragedy for both their community in Las Vegas, and for the residents of Huntington Beach.
No one wants to see three healthy, ambitious young people lose their lives. The city also worries, of course, about maintaining its reputation as a safe vacation destination. They want visitors to have a good time and leave happy, not encounter problems or be seriously injured.
Luckily for locals with drug use disorders, Huntington Beach is also home to plenty of treatment options. The Twelve Step fellowships of AA, NA and OA are alive and well in Orange County, and Huntington Beach is no exception. There are even Al-Anon meetings for family members and friends of addicts.
The community is also served by both inpatient and outpatient treatment centers. Everything from bare bones facilities to luxury rehabs are available. Many rehabs are based on the Twelve Steps, but many are specifically not, because some addicts find those programs just don’t work for them.
Detoxes are plentiful, too. Supervised detox can be crucial for addicts, especially those using alcohol. Quitting drinking cold turkey can cause issues like delirium tremens, which affects the central nervous system. Tremors may need to be managed with medication.
Like the rest of America, Huntington Beach sees issues due to drug and alcohol abuse. Luckily, the city also has resources to address the issue. Huntington Beach approaches addiction from every angle. Rules about public drinking and drug taking are designed to prevent problems. The police force and hospitals are effective at intervening when problems do happen. And treatment options in the city and throughout Orange County are plentiful.
Sources:
https://www.huntingtonbeachca.gov/residents/beach_info/
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/treatment-rehab/detox-program/ca/huntington-beach
http://www.latimes.com/socal/daily-pilot/news/tn-dpt-me-crash-charges-20180430-story.html
http://abc7.com/man-in-oc-arrested-after-running-naked-down-beach/3439845/
Tags: Alcohol Addiction, Drug Addiction, Huntington Beach, Treatment Centers