The substance abuse problems that plague Alberta’s oil industry are resulting in lives lost and torn apart. Young to middle aged men come to Northern Alberta with the honest intentions of working hard and making a decent living. But upon arrival, they are sucked into a vortex of drug and alcohol abuse, and mental disorders run rampant due to the harsh, restrictive conditions and the absence of healthy recreational activities.

Drug traffic is very prevalent near the oil sands because of the incredible amount of money workers have to spend on it. Drug gangs and individual dealers have a booming market of their own in towns like Fort McMurray, Alberta, which is the closest city to the oil sands. The availability of drugs is limitless, with cocaine (the “wealthy man’s drug”) being the biggest cash crop for dealers. It is estimated that a majority of the mental disorders found amongst oil workers can be tied to drug use.

The substance that is most abused amongst oil workers is a legal one: alcohol. As alcohol sales in Alberta are gradually privatized, the availability of alcohol increases along with cases of alcohol abuse and alcoholism. Sadly, this addiction is also the most under resourced one, with government funded rehabilitation services being heavily depleted and stretched beyond their means. Often, alcoholics will receive little more than a basic support group to help them with sobriety, when what they really need is inpatient rehabilitation.

Oil workers afflicted with addiction to drugs and alcohol should be receiving proper substance abuse treatment, even if they have to find it outside of Alberta. There are plenty of addiction rehabilitation programs in neighboring provinces that are eager to help the oil industry with its substance abuse problems. No paycheck is worth the destruction of the worker’s life. Addicts and families of addicts are encouraged to reach out for help before it is too late. With alcohol rehab Alberta, there is always an opportunity to improve one-self and seek counselling.

Alberta has run into a problem of depleted substance abuse treatment resources. It is becoming widely known that the oil industry of Northern Alberta has spawned a culture of rampant substance abuse problems. Oil jobs are incredibly high paying, but demand the worker to live in harsh northern conditions, usually in a work camp. This attracts a largely male demographic who find themselves living with little to no entertainment or recreation after their grueling work week, causing them to turn to drugs and alcohol for amusement.

The sale of alcohol in Alberta is becoming privatized, making a vast selection of liquor available to oil workers. The drug trade follows wealth, and is highly prominent through out Alberta, with a large presence in and around the oil sands. Illegal substances are more than accessible; they are routinely offered to oil workers.

The Alberta oil sands is notoriously a den of substance abuse and addiction, so much so that its rehabilitation treatment facilities are having to turn people away, put them on waiting lists or drastically shorten their programs. Throughout Alberta, whether someone is looking for a Calgary rehab program or an Edmonton addiction treatment center, they will find few facilities taking new clients. With the worker’s population and the availablity of addictive substances increasing simultaneously, the situation is becoming dire.

Government funded rehabs are maxed out and support groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous are carrying a large part of the weight of Alberta’s addiction problems. However, they are only intended to be supplemental support and cannot offer the safe recovery environment that inpatient rehab offers. Because of this, most substance abuse problems do not receive the attention they need, or they go entirely untreated, putting many lives at risk. Addiction treatment facilities and rehabilitation programs across Canada want to help aid the addiction crisis in the oil sands of Alberta, and those who struggle with drug and alcohol substance abuse problems in the oil field are encouraged to reach out for help as soon as possible.