Detox Centers in Elmwood Park, New Jersey

Elmwood Park, NJ, is located just 14 miles outside New York City and is a borough of Bergen County. According to the Elmwood Park Police Department, there were 24 drug overdoses in 2020 and 179 narcotics arrests.¹

Area law enforcement has been busy working to keep drugs off the streets. In 2019, an undercover Bergen County investigator bought 450 bags of heroin and 20 bags of cocaine in Elmwood Park in separate deals.² The seller was arrested and charged with several drug distribution offenses.²

Less than a year later, Elmwood Park police and the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office helped bust a drug ring that reportedly flooded North Jersey and other parts of the state with THC-laced candies that were packaged and sold as illegal marijuana edibles.³ Two dozen people were arrested and charged.³

Elmwood Park has also experienced some of the unfortunate effects of drug addiction. In 2019, an adult and 2 kids were hurt when a driver, who police say was high on heroin, crashed his car into theirs while he was driving on the wrong side of the road in Elmwood Park.⁴ Three years later, in 2022, 2 Elmwood Park high school students were hospitalized after suffering what was believed to be a drug overdose.⁵

Residents of Elmwood Park are seeking out treatment for substance use disorder. In 2020, 88 people in Elmwood Park entered addiction treatment.⁶ The majority listed heroin as their primary drug of choice, though 27% of those who sought out treatment did so for alcohol addiction.⁶

There are more than 380 treatment facilities available to the people of New Jersey.⁷ Residents of Elmwood Park looking for a rehab option have access to 43 centers within 10 miles of the city.⁸ Their services break down into the following categories:⁸

• 7 inpatient facilities where patients live and receive treatment at the same time
• 37 outpatient facilities that offer the flexibility of living at home while undergoing treatment
• 3 transitional housing facilities that offer a sober living option for people who need additional support
• 10 centers that offer detoxification services
• 32 facilities that treat the dual diagnosis of mental health and substance use disorder

In Bergen County, 61% of people who were discharged from addiction treatment had been diagnosed with a co-occurring mental health issue.⁶ Research shows that number is not unusual.⁹ Drug and alcohol addiction can cause people to experience symptoms of mental illness.⁹ Conversely, mental health issues can lead to substance use disorder.⁹ It’s suggested that treatment for a dual diagnosis should focus on the 2 disorders together.⁹

Drug and alcohol support groups are often part of the aftercare plan once someone has finished addiction treatment. Support groups can also be part of inpatient or outpatient treatment. These groups help eliminate the sense of isolation many people feel during substance use disorder treatment. Attendees receive the support of people who have been where they are and can share their experiences in a safe environment.

Two well-known examples of support groups are Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and Narcotics Anonymous (NA). In Bergen County, 34% of people who sought out addiction treatment also attended NA meetings, and 36% attended AA meetings.⁶

The closest AA meetings to Elmwood Park are located in nearby Fair Lawn.¹⁰ Meetings are held at the St. Anne School Library, 1-30 Summit Ave., Mondays and Wednesdays at 7 p.m. and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m.¹⁰ You can also find meetings at Warren Point Presbyterian Church, Broadway and 17th St., Tuesdays and Thursdays at 8 p.m. and Fridays at 7:30 p.m.¹⁰

NA meetings near Elmwood Park are held at United Reformed Methodist Church, 352 Clifton Ave., in Clifton.¹¹ Meetings are Saturdays at 10 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. and Sundays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at 7:30 p.m.¹¹

Sources:

1. Elmwood Park Police Department. (2021, January 17). Police department annual report 2020.
2. DeMarco, J. (2019, June 11). Accused Paterson heroin, cocaine dealer busted in Elmwood Park sting.
3. DeMarco, J. (2020, January 7). Prosecutor: Drug ring sold THC-laced Sour Patch candy, other sweets at Jersey Shore, in Bergen.
4. DeMarco, J. (2019, May 6). Wrong-way driver high on heroin sends 3 to hospital in head-on Elmwood Park crash.
5. DeMarco, J. (2022, January 14). Elmwood Park PD: Unknown drug sends high schoolers, 17, 14, to hospital, prompts K9 search.
6. New Jersey Department of Human Services, Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services. (2021). Substance abuse overview 2020 Bergen County.
7. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2020). National survey of substance abuse treatment services.
8. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (n.d.). FindTreatment.gov.
9. NIDA. (2018, August 1). Comorbidity: Substance use disorders and other mental illnesses DrugFacts.
10. Northern New Jersey Intergroup of Alcoholics Anonymous. (n.d.). Nearby meetings for Emerson, NJ.
11. Narcotics Anonymous. (n.d.). NA meeting search.