Technology has been enhancing the way people receive addiction treatment for a number of years now. It’s helping patients get better treatments and places such as rehab centres be more personalised in their approach and tailor their programmes to heighten success.
Visit any drug rehabilitation centre and today you’ll find tech playing a big part, and while the main source of success still comes from the will of the patient themselves, it’s a huge step forward.
The likes of apps and video conferencing have been hugely helpful in recent times, but GPS tracking is also starting to play its part, and will likely do so for many years. But how exactly is it helping?
Track Offenders
One of the primary ways GPS tracking can help combat drug abuse is by monitoring offenders who have been released on probation or parole. Traditionally, these individuals are required to check in regularly with their probation officer to ensure they’re staying on track with their rehabilitation. However, with GPS tracking, probation officers can monitor the offender’s movements in real-time, ensuring they’re not frequenting known drug hotspots or associating with known drug users.
Help Prevent Relapse
In a wider context, GPS tracking can help prevent relapses by providing a level of accountability for recovering addicts. With GPS tracking, rehab centres can monitor their patients’ movements and ensure they’re staying on track with their recovery plan. This can help prevent relapses by catching potential warning signs early on, such as visiting known drug dealers or entering areas of concern etc.
Cutting it Off At Source
Another way GPS tracking can help combat drug abuse is by tracking the movement of drugs themselves. Law enforcement agencies can use GPS trackers to follow the movement of drug shipments, identifying the source and tracking it to its final destination. This can help prevent drugs from entering the country, and also help identify the individuals responsible for drug trafficking.
Safeguarding Patients
GPS tracking can also be used to monitor drug rehabilitation centres themselves. While rare, and an incredibly small concern, some drug rehab centres can sometimes be targets for drug dealers looking to exploit vulnerable recovering addicts. By installing GPS tracking systems in rehab centres, administrators can monitor the movement of individuals and vehicles, ensuring that unauthorized individuals aren’t entering the premises.
There are, of course, concerns about privacy when it comes to GPS tracking. However, in many cases, patients themselves see the value and look at it like an extra layer of support. What’s more, it provides accountability to the patient outside of a rehab centre.
Of course, over time issues that have arisen will be ironed out and it is another string to the bow of the medical professionals who are doing their best to ensure that those who do enter recovery from drug and alcohol addiction stay in recovery and enjoy a happy and healthy rest of their lives.