After a pause during the pandemic due to a lack of providers, the Cowlitz Indian Tribe now offers addiction treatment for youth at its Hazel Dell office. The clinic is one of few in Clark County that treats children and teenagers with substance use disorders. A shortage of specialized providers in the area has created a gap in services for youth, clinic staff said.
But, like adults, youth have been swept up in the rise of opioids and fentanyl — whether they mean to consume those drugs or not. From 2020 to 2022, 43 people 24 years old and younger have fatally overdosed in Clark County, according to county data . But hard drugs aren’t the only issue for youth in Southwest Washington, staff at the tribe’s clinic said.
In the six weeks the clinic has served youth, marijuana is the drug most have sought help overcoming. Marijuana is not what it used to be, said substance use disorder professional Amie-Jo Brassfield. As marijuana use has become more socially acceptable, the drug has also become more powerful.
At the clinic, staff help youth address the underlying issues causing them to use drugs while guiding them toward long-term sobriety. “Treatment is really a lot about self-discovery. And it’s about gaining a life back that you lost, and the possibility of gaining meaning back in your life,” said Dave Pulliam, the tribe’s manager of clinical services.
Higher levels of THC — cannabis’ psychoactive component — in marijuana products has contributed to addiction.