Detox Centers in Sydney, FL

Sydney is a relatively small community in Hillsborough County located about 5 miles northeast of Brandon. Opioid addiction and overdose are serious public health concerns in Sydney and Hillsborough County, where there were 485 drug overdose deaths in 2020.¹

According to the Hillsborough County Anti-Drug Alliance, the majority of drug overdose deaths in the county are caused by fentanyl.² The alliance adds that during the first 6 months of 2020, emergency medical service (EMS) teams in Hillsborough County received 1,338 calls from people who reversed opioid overdoses using naloxone—an opioid overdose reversal drug.² There were 732 calls during the same 6-month period in 2019.²

In 2020, approximately 84.2% of drug overdose deaths in Hillsborough County involved at least one opioid.³ That same year, approximately 34% of the county’s 7,286 EMS responses to suspected drug overdose situations involved opioids.³

In 2017, the top drugs of choice among Hillsborough County residents who received addiction treatment were marijuana, alcohol, and opioids.⁴ The number of treatment admissions for heroin increased by more than 315% from 2012 to 2017.⁴ In 2019, more than 17% of adults in Hillsborough County said they regularly engaged in heavy or binge drinking, compared with the Florida state average of 15.5%.⁵

There are no drug and alcohol detox or rehab facilities in Sydney, though there are 7 treatment centers within a 10-mile radius.⁶ Two of those facilities are in Brandon, and the remaining 5 are in neighboring cities of Plant City, Tampa, Riverview, and Thonotosassa.⁶ In addition to providing addiction treatment, both Brandon facilities also offer mental health treatment for those with co-occurring mental health disorders.⁶

Sydney residents who suffer from opioid addiction have the option of seeking treatment from one of 33 buprenorphine practitioners in the area.⁷ Buprenorphine is a medication used to treat opioid addiction, as it can reduce withdrawal symptoms and drug cravings, and increase safety in the case of an overdose.⁸ The number of buprenorphine practitioners near Sydney represents 1.3% of the total number of practitioners in the state of Florida.⁷

Drug and alcohol support groups like Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and Narcotics Anonymous (NA) are shown to help people in recovery achieve and maintain abstinence while also establishing healthy lifestyle behaviors.⁹ Most drug and alcohol rehab programs encourage patients to participate in self-help groups like AA and NA during and after professional treatment.⁹

Sydney is within close proximity of several AA groups—most of which meet in Brandon, Tampa, and Plant City.¹⁰ Meetings are available in person and online and take place 7 days a week at different hours of the day.¹⁰ A list of all meetings in Hillsborough County is located on the official website for the Tri-County Central Office Tampa AA.¹⁰

There are 28 NA groups that meet within a 10-mile radius of Sydney in Brandon, Plant City, and Riverview.¹¹ Meetings take place in person and online 7 days a week at various times of the day.¹¹ A full list of NA meetings near Sydney is available on the official NA website.¹¹

Sources:

1. Florida Department of Health. (n.d.) Substance use dashboard: Overview (Hillsborough) 2020.
2. Mills, C. (2021, December 1). Devastated by drug overdoses, Tampa advocate prays deadly spike will end in 2022.
3. Florida Department of Health. (n.d.) Substance use dashboard: Overdose (Hillsborough) 2020.
4. Hillsborough County Anti-Drug Alliance. (n.d.) Drug epidemiology network (DEN) Report, Hillsborough County, Florida.
5. Florida Department of Health. (n.d.) Substance use dashboard: Risk behaviors (Hillsborough) 2020.
6. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (n.d.) Find treatment.
7. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (n.d.) Find a facility.
8. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2022, April 1). Buprenorphine.
9. National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2018, January). Where do 12-step or self-help programs fit into drug addiction treatment?
10. Tri-County Central Office Tampa AA. (n.d.) AA meetings in Plant City-Dover.
11. Narcotics Anonymous. (n.d.) NA meeting search.