Staff member Kaytee Watson (in blue shirt, center of picture) led Capital Rotary club members on a July 31 tour of LRADAC’s Colonial Drive campus. The agency – formerly known as the Lexington/Richland Alcohol and Drug Abuse Council – has provided alcohol abuse prevention and drug addiction help, intervention and treatment in the Midlands for 40 years. The basic problem with alcohol is that it affects our judgement and impulse control. Simply put, we don’t make good decisions when we are intoxicated and we end up behaving in ways we wouldn’t had we been sober. Alcohol also acts as a depressive. It makes us feel more calm and relaxed, but the side effect is that it can become addictive and it doesn’t allow us to really experience our emotions fully. Additionally, we offer several treatment options to best suit each services include drug screening, individual/group counseling, behavioral therapy and life skills training. We believe in treating each addiction – and each person – as an individual. No two addictions are the same, and often times multiple forms of treatment must be used in order to offer clients the highest chance of a successful recovery. In the 2019 fiscal year, LRADAC admitted almost 8,500 clients; 50% successfully completed treatment and 95% reported satisfaction with services. Nearly 2,500 clients were served in community-based programs. Watson said LRADAC takes a proactive approach to fighting addiction and drug abuse in local schools, businesses and neighborhoods. Capital Rotary’s “fifth Wednesday” tour was part of the club’s community outreach, substituting field trips to local sites in place of a regular club meeting.
