Detox Centers in Tarpon Springs, FL

The story of how Tarpon Springs, Florida, got its name goes back to 1880 when early settler Mary Ormond Boyer saw fish jumping out of the area’s bayou and exclaimed, “Look at the tarpon spring!”¹ The fish were probably mullets, not tarpon, but regardless, the name stuck.

Today, over 25,000 people call Tarpon Springs home.² Located in Pinellas County, the area is also known to have one of the largest populations of Greek Americans in the U.S.³ Like many cities throughout Florida and the rest of the country, Tarpon Springs also has its fair share of residents who are struggling with a substance use disorder.

According to a 2021 article in the Tampa Bay Times, the number of suspected overdoses in Pinellas County quadrupled to more than 6,500 people over 5 years ending in 2020.⁴ In 2020 alone, 546 people in Pinellas County died due to drug overdose.⁴

The Times reports that the potent synthetic opioid fentanyl played a significant role in those deaths.⁴ Fentanyl is 80 times more potent than morphine and 50 times more potent than heroin.⁵

To reduce the number of opioid fatalities, Pinellas County officials approved a $2 million federal grant in 2021 to increase the distribution of overdose reversal medications like Narcan and provide emergency response teams with extra resources for dealing with overdose patients.⁶

Binge drinking is also an issue for Tarpon Springs residents, with almost 18% of adults in the city admitting to binge drinking.⁷ The CDC defines it as having 5 or more drinks for men and 4 or more drinks for women during 1 occasion.⁸ Pinellas County is higher than the state average for the number of adults who drink excessively (24.2%).⁷

Pinellas County joined its neighboring counties of Hillsborough, Pasco, and Polk to form All4HealthFL, a coalition to reduce substance abuse and improve mental health for adults and youth in their counties.⁸

There are 58 treatment and rehabilitation facilities within 25 miles of Tarpon Springs where you can find help in overcoming an addiction to drugs or alcohol.⁹ The area has the following treatment centers available:

• 15 facilities that offer detox treatment
• 45 outpatient centers
• 19 residential facilities

The Tarpon Springs area also has 31 facilities that offer treatment for a dual diagnosis of substance use disorder and mental health disorder.⁹

Florida has a total of 712 treatment facilities serving 45,620 clients.¹⁰ The majority of these treatment options are outpatient treatment centers, of which Florida has 587.¹⁰ There are also 80 detox facilities and 215 residential, inpatient facilities within the state.¹⁰

Support groups like Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous can help you on your path to recovery from drug and alcohol addiction. The Pinellas County Intergroup provides information on AA meetings in Tarpon Springs and the surrounding community.

According to the Narcotics Anonymous Florida Region website, 2 NA meetings are held in Tarpon Springs.

Sources:

1. VisitFlorida.com. (n.d.). An inside look at Tarpon Springs history.
2. U.S. Census Bureau. (2019). Census – geography profile – Tarpon Springs City, Florida.
3. The Pappas Post. (2019, October 4). Top 10 Greekest places in North America.
4. Tampa Bay Times. (2021, December 30). Pinellas County drug overdoses likely climbed in 2021.
5. U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. (n.d.). Fentanyl.
6. Tampa Bay Times. (2021, October 13). Pinellas Commission approves $2 million to fight opioid fatalities.
7. All4Health., (2019). Adults who binge drink.
8. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2020, August 24). Binge drinking.
9. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). (n.d). FindTreatment.gov.
10. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). (2020). National survey of substance abuse treatment services (N-SSATS): data on substance abuse treatment facilities.