Myrtle Beach and Horry County have carried one of the highest opioid burdens in South Carolina for years, with the county historically ranking first in the state for opioid overdose deaths and second in overdose-related hospitalizations. In response, several key interventions have been put in place to help people in the area.
Horry County designated Shoreline Behavioral Health Services, based in Conway, as the county’s alcohol and drug authority. Shoreline provides sliding-scale outpatient treatment and counseling to Horry County residents and connects individuals to recovery housing options along the Grand Strand, making it a critical entry point for people without private insurance or the financial resources for private care. Its services are provided on a confidential, open-access basis with no appointment needed on select mornings.
In 2023, Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach, Conway, and Horry County formally agreed to pool opioid settlement funds toward a coordinated regional response to the local overdose crisis. Backed by guaranteed funding from the South Carolina Opioid Recovery Fund, this partnership is expanding peer support and harm reduction access across the Grand Strand.
When choosing a detox center in Myrtle Beach, a few local factors matter. The city is a seasonal tourism hub, and hospital and residential beds can face capacity pressure during summer months, so people seeking inpatient-level care may need to consider facilities in Conway or elsewhere in Horry County. Detox and substance use treatment facilities in South Carolina must be licensed by the SC Department of Public Health (DPH) under Regulation 60-93, Standards for Licensing Facilities for Chemically Dependent or Addicted Persons. Policy oversight and public funding flow through the SC Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities (DBHDD) via its Office of Substance Use Services (OSUS), which absorbed the functions of the former DAODAS following a 2025 state agency restructuring.
