Detox Centers in Ozona, Florida

Ozona is about 4 miles north of Dunedin. This small Florida city in Pinellas County faces many of the same problems with drug overdose and addiction as its neighboring cities. Fortunately, Ozona residents have lots of options when it comes to choosing a nearby addiction treatment center.

Opioid addiction is a serious public health concern in Ozona and Pinellas County. There were 411 drug overdose deaths in Pinellas County during the first 8 months of 2021, compared with 363 deaths that occurred during the same period in 2020.¹

Experts have attributed the rise in local drug overdose deaths to the pandemic, fentanyl, and combination drugs that include stimulants, MDMA, opioids, and animal tranquilizers—all of which are being mixed into single pills or powders.¹ These combination drugs are making overdose reversal drugs like naloxone less effective, which is partly why the overdose death rate in Pinellas County has risen.¹

In 2020, one person in Pinellas County died from a drug overdose every 20 hours.² An estimated 49% of drug overdose deaths in the county were among people between the ages of 35 and 54, and 92% identified as white.² Additionally, 73% of drug overdose victims were male, and 27% were female.²

Alcohol misuse is another significant public health concern in Pinellas County, where the rate of heavy and binge drinking among adults was 20.9% in 2016, compared with the rate of 17.5% among all Florida adults.³ That same year, there were 961 alcohol-related vehicle crashes in the county.³

There are 2 addiction treatment facilities located within 5 miles of Ozona—both of which are in Palm Harbor.⁴

Ozona residents with opioid use disorder have the option of seeking buprenorphine treatment from one of 15 practitioners in the area.⁴ Buprenorphine is a medication approved for the treatment of opioid addiction that reduces withdrawal symptoms, including drug cravings, and lowers the potential for drug misuse.⁶ The number of buprenorphine practitioners near Ozona represents about 0.6% of the total number of buprenorphine practitioners in the state of Florida.⁴

Drug and alcohol support groups like Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and Narcotics Anonymous (NA) are shown to be particularly helpful to those in recovery from addiction, as they are shown to complement and extend the effects of professional treatment.⁷ AA and NA provide an additional source of community-level social support that helps people maintain abstinence from drugs and alcohol.⁷

Ozona residents who are interested in attending AA meetings can go to Palm Harbor, where there are dozens of AA groups.⁸ These AA meetings take place 7 days a week at locations including the Lutheran Church of the Resurrection, Ozona Community Church, and the Store Front at 412 Orange Street.⁸ A complete list of AA meetings near Ozona is available on the official website for the Pinellas County Intergroup.⁸

All NA groups near Ozona meet in Dunedin and Palm Harbor.⁹ Virtual NA meetings are also available for Ozona residents who want to connect with local peers in recovery without leaving home.⁹ A complete schedule of NA meetings near Ozona is available on the official NA website.⁹

Sources:

1. Peace, L. (2021, December 30). Pinellas County drug overdoses likely climbed in 2021.
2. ArcGIS Online. (n.d.). The opioid epidemic in Pinellas County.
3. Florida Health Pinellas County. (2019, March). Pinellas County substance abuse profile 2019.
4. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (n.d.). Find a facility.
5. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (n.d.). Find treatment.
6. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2022, April 1). Buprenorphine.
7. National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2018, January). Where do 12-Step or self-help programs fit into drug addiction treatment?
8. Pinellas County Intergroup. (n.d.). Meetings.
9. Narcotics Anonymous. (n.d.). NA meeting search.