Garfield County’s Board of Commissioners met on Monday to discuss their lack of a detox facility.
Someone withdrawing from drugs, alcohol or both, can experience uncomfortable, even life-threatening symptoms. In Garfield County, the emergency room is their only option.
“We are your detox center,” Dr. Ben Peery, of Valley View Hospital in Glenwood Springs, told the county’s commissioners.
Admitting cases like these to the emergency room costs the hospital significantly, and doesn’t do much to address underlying substance abuse issues.
Commissioners seemed open to footing the bill to use Recovery Resources in Aspen, which serves as Pitkin County’s detox. Even if it’s not a long-term solution, it’s a start, said Garfield County Commissioner Tom Jankovsky.
