Chicago and Drug Rehab
Quitting drugs seems like an especially good idea if you live in Chicago. While the Windy City is known for its weather, its art museums, and pizza, it’s also known for something darker – its substance abuse problems. According to data collected about roughly three to four years ago, in 2008, when folks are arrested in Chicago, they are more likely than any other prisoner in a U.S. major city to test positively for drugs. In that year, 87 percent of those under arrest in Chicago came up positive for drugs. According to a report from the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, in 2008, Chicago was the nation’s number one city for heroin use among those arrested.
Some other quick facts for Chicago and substance abuse:
Fifty-two percent of those under arrest in the Chicago metropolitan area test positively for cocaine, despite the fact that in the rest of America, marijuana is the most used illegal drug. Most likely, this may have something to do with the fact that individuals with drug addiction problems often commit criminal acts to keep their addiction going. They often, too, lose their jobs, and crime is perhaps the quickest, if not the safest or most reliable method of acquiring fast cash.
Thirty-five percent of those arrested in Chicago are what are known as “poly-drug” abusers. This means the substance abuse user is mixing different types of illegal drugs at the same time. It’s one way to obtain different side effects from the drugs, or to keep the effects of the drug going, even increasing the drug’s effects.
While it may seem that a large number of residents might want to quickly check into Chicago rehab programs , the use of illegal drugs is certainly not limited to Illinois.
In a report from September of 2010, 21.8 million Americans who were twelve years old or older used illegal drugs within the past four weeks (at the time the report was issued). This was up from 19.7 million Americans who used illegal drugs within the last month in 2006. Among the population, the highest usage demographic is among those aged 18 to 21 years old. The most abused drug appears to be marijuana with a total of 14.6 million users, whereas 2.4 million Americans will use cocaine regularly.
Other studies find that addiction and substance abuse costs the state of Illinois about $4.8 billion a year. Approximately $2.4 billion is for drug addicts and their care while in prisons and hospitals, while about $179 million is provided for prevention and treatment.
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