LMTonline
David Gomez Jr., Laredo Morning Times
A ribbon cutting ceremony is expected to take place this month for the City of Laredo Detoxification Center.
Known as the Roots Recovery Center, it recently passed its pre-licensing and inspection check.
A facelift for the once home of Webb County’s youth detention center is to become a detoxification center for the county’s addicts who are looking for a second chance to become clean before seeking further rehabilitation treatment. The nearest detox center in the area is 156 miles away in San Antonio.
As the center made progress, it had to pass a state inspection which was conducted on Dec. 19. In the meantime, rooms and staff were available to proceed with operations once given the go-ahead sometime in January.
Back in April of 2022, Rep. Henry Cuellar secured $2 million for the facility’s yearly service contracts for electronic medical records in addition to office, health care, food and hygiene supplies.
A total of 65 overdose deaths were reported in 2023, well above last year's record of 41 and easily above the four-year total of 46 from 2018-21. Narcotics statistics showed fentanyl accounting for an increase in overdoses -- as there was only one death from it total from 2018-21. The latest data showed that in all of 2022 and halfway through 2023 there had been 34 deaths due to fentanyl, although it was still behind both heroin (81) and pills (61) as of that latest data which was as of June 1, 2023.
As narcotics continue to find their way to the streets of Laredo, the detoxification center finds its way to the top of the list of priorities for the city.
Dr. Mateo Reyes has also been contracted to serve as acting medical director of the detox center.
In November, District VI councilmember Dr. Tyler King had suggested that Dr. Maurice Click Jr. serve as the doctor overseeing operations for the care of detoxers. Since then, Click resigned as Laredo’s Health Authority, with Dr. Arturo Garza Gongora taking over the role in December.