2015 Drug Trends in California

California is a state that a lot of people associate with fun in the sun and companionship. But, in all honesty, drug problems do run rampant there as well. As in any area of the United States, you can find pretty much any sort of drug abuse that is out there, but there are a few types that run a bit more rampant than others. In 2015, the two biggest issues in California are prescription drug abuse and heroin abuse.

Prescription Drug Abuse

Prescription drugs are a huge problem all over the country, mainly because they are a lot more accessible than they used to be. Even though you are still in need of a prescription in order to obtain most of them, there are also a number of ways for you to get them through the black market. The number of persons who abuse prescription drugs continues to become more and more over time.

One of the main reasons that prescription drug abuse is such an issue in California is because of the sheer number of college students and young adults that are living in the state. Prescription drug abuse, especially with Adderall and other stimulants, is incredibly common in this age group, which ends up presenting a number of its own problems into the mix. This past year, a number of college students and other young adults died from overdosing on these medications. Some of these medications had been obtained legitimately, but most had been obtained illegally in one manner or another.

California has, however, been fighting back when it comes to prescription drug abuse, by tightening the reins on access to them and by making help more accessible to those who may be found to have been abusing the prescription drugs. They are also implementing what is called a prescription drug tracking program, which has the sole purpose of tracking where those drugs are going so that they do not get abused by those who are not supposed to have them. Time will tell whether or not California is going to be able to use this effectively or not.

Heroin

Another huge problem in California is heroin abuse, especially in young adults. We’ve all heard the stories about Hollywood celebrities dying from heroin overdoses, but that’s just one in a variety of different populations that end up fighting off the effects of this horrible drug.

According to statistics, heroin is one of the most common reasons for people in California to end up in rehabilitation centers, and it is also the 4th most commonly abused drug in the state. Because of that, the state has done a lot of work in order to try and ensure that they have the right protocols in place for these rehab centers to be able to take care of the issue. As more and more of these cases show up, it’s going to become more important to get them under control as quickly as possible.

All that being said, why is heroin such an issue? There are two main reasons – one is because heroin is incredibly accessible in California. With its proximity to the border, and the fact that there are just so many people in the state as it is, heroin is really easy to get. An addict can get it for a relatively low price. Now, of course, there are some strains that are incredibly dangerous to end up with, and deaths from heroin are becoming more common as well – those who have more wealth are the ones who are more likely to be able to find the dealers who give them the “real stuff” that they are looking to purchase from them.

These two problems are very concerning, and it is important that we address them properly so that people trapped in addiction can get the help that they need. Prescription drug abuse, as you will see in many of our articles, is an issue that is running rampant all over the United States today. Heroin is also becoming a lot more commonplace as well. California is one of the front runners in trying to get drug use under control, so it will be important and interesting to observe how they will go forward with their plans as time goes on and drugs become more potent and more dangerous. If you are in need of rehab in California, then you will want to check out the resources that we have available here on our website.