We recently wrote about the large number of college graduates who still engage in binge drinking. We now follow that post with more news that is cause for concern. According to an analysis of drug addiction on a state-by-state basis plus the District of Columbia, Indiana ranks seventh overall.
The study tallied a score based on rate of drug use & addiction (18th), law enforcement response time (5th) and availability of drug health issues & rehab (32nd).
Further confirmation of our opioid crisis
Some may say that there is no harm in marijuana use, but the findings in this report point to the fact that opioid addiction is at crisis level with an average of 91 Americans a day overdose on the drug. A staggering 80 percent of opioid use is in the U.S., which has 5 percent of the world’s population.
The federal government is not offering much help either, with the current administration practically defunded the Office of National Drug Control and Policy.
Indiana’s struggles with drugs
Here in Indiana the death toll related to opioids averages 100 deaths per month. According to one local article about the study and others involving drug use, Lake and Porter counties experienced a record number of heroin-related deaths. Using specific measures within the data, Indiana ranked first in the nation for methamphetamine-lab incidents and seizures.
The state ranked 9th for the number of opioid prescriptions (109 per 100 individuals, the average is 85 per 100). Not limited to rural or urban areas, the state ranks 6th for drug arrests on college campuses.
Treatment instead of incarceration
Illegal use of opioids and other drugs is breaking the law. Nevertheless, the solution is not filling our prisons with people addicted to drugs. Those facing drug misdemeanor or felony charges here in Indiana and elsewhere are best served by working with a criminal defense attorney. They can help insure that you or your loved one’s rights are protect, and perhaps even structure a sentence that involves drug treatment or counseling instead serving a prison sentence.
