Substance Abuse in Clarksville City, AR

Clarksville is a city in Johnson County, AR. The city has a population of 9,381
people, according to the 2020 Population Census (United States Census Bureau, n.d.). While
substance abuse statistics at the city or township level are hard to come by, the statistics at the
state and county levels indicate that substance abuse is likely a major public health problem
in the Clarksville community. In Arkansas, abused substances include tobacco, marijuana,
heroin, opioid, and alcohol (SAMHSA, 2020). Of these, tobacco and marijuana are the most
abused. During 2017-2019, 35.1% (or 875,000) of people aged twelve years and above in
Arkansas used tobacco. This is higher than the regional and national averages of 28.4% and
26.8%, respectively. 13.7% (or 342,000) of people aged twelve years and above in Arkansas
used marijuana during the same period. This is similar to the regional average of 12.7% but
less than the national average of 16.2%. Narrowing down to Johnson County, tobacco is still
the most abused substance, with 26% of adults smoking, compared to 24% for the whole state
(County Health Rankings & Roadmaps, n.d.). Alcohol is the second most abused substance in
the County, with 15% of adults drinking excessively, compared to 17% for the whole state.
In response to the substance abuse problem in Arkansas and the mental health issues
associated with the problem, many organizations have emerged to intervene. One such
organization is Counseling Associates (CA). An affiliate of Arisa Health, CA is a not-for-
profit community mental health center serving communities across ten counties in central
Arkansas (Counseling Associates, n.d.). Arisa Health combined four of Arkansas’ top
behavioral health providers to create the state’s leading integrated behavioral health system.
The other members of the Arisa group include Ozark Guidance, Mid-South Health Systems,
and Professional Counseling Associates. According to CA, mental health, combined with
substance use disorders, is the number one cause of worker disability in the US. Johnson is

SUBSTANCE ABUSE IN CLARKSVILLE CITY, AR 3
one of the ten counties CA serves, and in this county, the organization has offices in
Clarksville.
As a community health nurse, I could collaborate with CA and complement their
work in several ways. First, as a community health nurse, I am especially equipped to
strengthen trust and cooperation among the various stakeholders in community health:
families, health agencies, schools, hospitals, and law enforcement, among others (Moma,
2018). Secondly, as a community health nurse, I am well-placed to help the Clarksville
community clarify its needs and interests. For example, I could help the community better
understand the link between excessive drinking and problems in the home. With the link
clearly established, it should be easier to mobilize community resources toward eliminating
substance abuse and adopting health-conducive behavior. Finally, I could provide knowledge
of abuse and addiction and assist CA and the community in their health promotion efforts
using nursing and addiction theories, research competencies, interpersonal processes, and
teaching skills.
Below is a Tweet summarizing what I have found out regarding substance abuse in
the Clarksville community in Johnson County, AR:
1 in 4 adults in Clarksville is a smoker. And 3 in 20 adults drink excessively. This puts as
high as 26% of the adult population in the community at risk of substance abuse disorder and
mental health problems. #BringChangeToMind

SUBSTANCE ABUSE IN CLARKSVILLE CITY, AR 4

References

Counseling Associates. (n.d.). Welcome from the CEO. Retrieved from Counseling
Associates: https://caiinc.org/welcome-from-the-ceo/
County Health Rankings & Roadmaps. (n.d.). Johnson (JO). Retrieved from County Health
Rankings & Roadmaps:
https://www.countyhealthrankings.org/app/arkansas/2021/rankings/johnson/county/ou
tcomes/overall/snapshot
Moma, A. (2018). Community nurses in addict rehabilitation and prevention of substance
abuse. Journal of Community Medicine & Health Education, 8, Unpaginated.
SAMHSA. (2020). Behavioral Health Barometer: Arkansas, Volume 6. Rockville:
SAMHSA.
United States Census Bureau. (n.d.). Clarksville city, Arkansas; United States. Retrieved
from Quick Facts:
https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/clarksvillecityarkansas,US/PST045221