The Amish and Drugs: What You Didn’t Know

The Amish are a group of Christian traditionalists that have simple living practices with the absence of modern technology, and Pennsylvania is famous for them. 

The Amish are a group of Christian traditionalists that have simple living practices with the absence of modern technology, and Pennsylvania is famous for them. As a drug rehab in Pennsylvania not that far from the Amish communities, we, too, are familiar with their simplistic way of life. While you may have seen a horse and buggy with a line of cars behind it, or watched the Amish children running around in their colonial outfits, or even had yourself a plate of scrapple, there is a darker side that you may not be so privy to.  

Amish Drug Abuse 

Our inpatient detox center knows all too well that drug addiction can affect people from around the globe of all different religious backgrounds and beliefs. Although the Amish may be living in a community that feels like it is frozen in time, drugs have found their way into this group as well. While most Amish people are not using drugs, there are cases of Amish drug abuse, Amish drug dealers, Amish drug busts, and Amish drug rings. Yes, even a community that has chosen to neglect modern technology is not immune to drugs.  

The exact numbers on Amish drug use is mostly unknown. The Amish are a secretive community that does not like the invasion of the outside world and prefers to handle their matters internally. Because the Amish are so separate from the rest of the population, sometimes police officers struggle to know when to step in. While most Amish are not indulging in drug abuse, there are some stand-out cases. One famous example of Amish drug abuse took place when two Amish men were charged with dealing cocaine to younger members of the community as well as to a local motorcycle gang in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. This took place for many years before the arrests were made. These arrests sparked talk about the use of alcohol and marijuana by the Amish youth in the past and fear that this could turn into abuse of harder drugs.  

Rumspringa 

The problem seems to be most prevalent with the Amish youth. Because you are not fully Amish until after 21, some of the younger Amish use this as a time to get a little crazy. The rumspringa is a coming-of-age ritual when the Amish youth go into the outside world to decide whether or not they will continue the Amish lifestyle.  

During this time, “hoedowns”, or giant parties, have been the setting for a lot of alcohol abuse as well as the occasional drug abuse including meth and cocaine.1 In fact, Amish youth from various states may gather for one of these large parties. In Ohio, one such party led to the arrest of over 70 young Amish, as well as the hospitalization for two who were experiencing signs of alcohol poisoning.1  

At Clearbrook Treatment Centers, we know that addiction knows no boundaries. If you or a loved one is need of drug or alcohol addiction treatment, you are certainly not alone. Contact our treatment centers in Pennsylvania at 570-536-9621 to get your life back on track.  

Sources 

1. The Sun – The secret life of America’s Amish community revealed, including drug taking, ‘hoedowns’ and underage drinking