Youth detox center opening in southwest Albuquerque

This month, a youth detox center will be opening up in southwest Albuquerque. This will be a new addition to the Serenity Mesa facility near Dennis Chavez and Coors. David Burke is the director of facilities and programmer at Serenity Mesa. He says this detox center is the only one in the state for teens and is something that’s imperative. “We get a lot of kids sometimes that show up for treatment and are high. Then we’d have to send them away because we don’t have medical staff, and those kids never come back. They either never come back or die of an overdose,” Burke said. According to a report, New Mexico teens are 30% more likely to have used drugs compared to the rest of the country. Since 2015, Burke and his wife have helped young boys and girls (14-21) throughout the state battle their addictions. “People use one pill and get addicted. They use one pill, and they die, they overdose, and we’re just seeing this trauma more than we’ve seen in the last four years, more than we’ve ever seen,” Burke said. Ryland Olivas is a 19-year-old from Denver. He is currently in treatment at Serenity Mesa. “I started using drugs at a pretty young age, and it got a little worse and worse,” said Olivas. He eventually got into fentanyl. “I was at a party, and a pretty girl offered it to me. I tried it — I was open to trying anything. Fentanyl was pretty new at that time; I didn’t quite understand how serious it was,” Olivas said. “There’s an open drug market in any big city. Pretty much any busy bus station, it’s entirely too easy to buy fentanyl and meth, too.” This month, he’s celebrating a year clean. “A year ago, I decided I was done with it. I went through some of the worst withdrawals of my life; I was withdrawing for about a month,” Olivas told KOAT. While dealing with hallucinations and other side effects, he said he had a hard time finding a place to detox as a young teen, especially one he felt comfortable in. Burke said he sees the need every day. He wants to make it more comfortable for teens going through this process. Now, instead of having to turn them away, the facility is able to provide treatment as soon as teens are ready.”If a kid goes to a hospital, they get comfort meds, they might get a bed in a hallway, they get treated and released like you’re medically clear to go, and that’s not true detox,” Burke said. “We’ve seen so many young people lose their lives needlessly because this resource isn’t available. I’m not saying this is the end all be all, but it’s something, and it can help, and I believe it’s going to save lives.”The center will have around the clock medical staff to help six kids at a time. Burke said the detox can last anywhere from five to 14 days before they’re able to move into the live-in treatment facility. “I think fentanyl is one of the worst things that’s ever happened to society in general. If you’re struggling with that, I think everyone should try to get some help,” Olivas said. The center is expected to open on Sept. 23.

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. —

This month, a youth detox center will be opening up in southwest Albuquerque. This will be a new addition to the Serenity Mesa facility near Dennis Chavez and Coors.

David Burke is the director of facilities and programmer at Serenity Mesa. He says this detox center is the only one in the state for teens and is something that’s imperative.

“We get a lot of kids sometimes that show up for treatment and are high. Then we’d have to send them away because we don’t have medical staff, and those kids never come back. They either never come back or die of an overdose,” Burke said.

According to a report, New Mexico teens are 30% more likely to have used drugs compared to the rest of the country. Since 2015, Burke and his wife have helped young boys and girls (14-21) throughout the state battle their addictions.

“People use one pill and get addicted. They use one pill, and they die, they overdose, and we’re just seeing this trauma more than we’ve seen in the last four years, more than we’ve ever seen,” Burke said.

Ryland Olivas is a 19-year-old from Denver. He is currently in treatment at Serenity Mesa.

“I started using drugs at a pretty young age, and it got a little worse and worse,” said Olivas.

He eventually got into fentanyl.

“I was at a party, and a pretty girl offered it to me. I tried it — I was open to trying anything. Fentanyl was pretty new at that time; I didn’t quite understand how serious it was,” Olivas said. “There’s an open drug market in any big city. Pretty much any busy bus station, it’s entirely too easy to buy fentanyl and meth, too.”

This month, he’s celebrating a year clean.

“A year ago, I decided I was done with it. I went through some of the worst withdrawals of my life; I was withdrawing for about a month,” Olivas told KOAT.

While dealing with hallucinations and other side effects, he said he had a hard time finding a place to detox as a young teen, especially one he felt comfortable in.

Burke said he sees the need every day. He wants to make it more comfortable for teens going through this process. Now, instead of having to turn them away, the facility is able to provide treatment as soon as teens are ready.

“If a kid goes to a hospital, they get comfort meds, they might get a bed in a hallway, they get treated and released like you’re medically clear to go, and that’s not true detox,” Burke said. “We’ve seen so many young people lose their lives needlessly because this resource isn’t available. I’m not saying this is the end all be all, but it’s something, and it can help, and I believe it’s going to save lives.”

The center will have around the clock medical staff to help six kids at a time. Burke said the detox can last anywhere from five to 14 days before they’re able to move into the live-in treatment facility.

“I think fentanyl is one of the worst things that’s ever happened to society in general. If you’re struggling with that, I think everyone should try to get some help,” Olivas said.

The center is expected to open on Sept. 23.