Nowhere to turn for drug treatment in Puerto Rico

Two recent pieces on This American Life and WBEZ Chicago revealed a hidden world in our midst—a network of unregistered and unregulated drug treatment centers in cities like Chicago and New York. They cater to drug users from Puerto Rico who are shipped to the United States for treatment—often at the expense of the Puerto Rican government.

Once in the centers, they may have their identification cards confiscated. Instead of actual drug treatment, they often endure physical abuse and no medical support—a particularly troubling problem for those who have other serious medical needs. The reporter found that many people escape the centers only to become homeless and unable to afford to return to Puerto Rico.

Sadly, as a new report from Intercambios Puerto Rico [in Spanish] makes clear, people who use drugs in Puerto Rico may also face abuse when they go in search of treatment on the island. Though there are methadone and buprenorphine programs in Puerto Rico, they are insufficient to meet the communities’ needs, and while these medicines are the gold standard of treatment for opiate dependence, they are not adequate treatment for people who use cocaine or other stimulants.

Click here to read the full article.

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