Geography and drug abuse
Certain areas of the country or even the state in which you live seem to have higher rates of reported drug abuse. Many wonder what these trends are and may even move or relocate accordingly. For instance, some cities may have a reputation for having a lot of heavy drinkers, while other cities may be known for meth labs. Often, people in rural communities report that there is drug abuse in their community since, “there is nothing else to do.”
Several government studies and reports from rehab centers suggest that and geography not only influences drug use, but also rehab initiation. Many additional factors can influence drug abuse but looking at the trends of geography in relation to addiction can be insightful in understanding drug abuse.
Alcoholanddrugsrehab.com reports that, “The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) conducted a national survey in 2011 and found that among people age 12 or older, 10.5% of the West Coast population, 9.2% of the Northeast, 8.5% of the Midwest, and 7.5% of the South reported using an illicit drug in the past month (SAMHSA). Actual rates may be somewhat higher as some survey-takers may have been reluctant to admit to using drugs. The SAMHSA survey also found that the rate of illicit drug use among people 12 or older is higher in more populated areas with 9.2% in large metropolitan areas, 8.7% in small metropolitan areas, and 7.2% across nonmetropolitan counties. These nonmetropolitan areas were further broken down to reveal some interesting trends in addiction and rehab: that illegal drug use rates are higher, 8.5% in urbanized counties, 6.3% in less urbanized counties, and 5.7% in completely rural counties.”
Further research indicates that while rural areas and smaller cities can appear to have lower rates of drug abuse, these same locations have higher rates of binge drinking, heavy alcohol use, tobacco use, inhalants, and illicit pharmaceuticals (prescription drugs) than larger cities. Also, studies show that while more residents of smaller cities and rural areas disapprove of illegal drug use, these same individuals are less likely to disapprove of the abuse of legal drugs such as alcohol. This information suggests that in rural areas, or smaller cities, individuals are more concerned about the type of drug that is being abused rather than the level of drug abuse.
These correlations between geography and drug abuse may not be the reason people become addicts, but they do show some interesting influential trends.