Colorado is like the rest of the United States in the sense that it has been witnessing a rise in the rates of substance abuse and addiction among its residents. Although there are many types of drugs - such as marijuana and cocaine - that contribute to this increase, opioids seem to be the drugs that are causing the greatest number of problems among local residents.
SAMHSA - the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration - for instance reports that people in this state mostly engage in the abuse of cocaine, marijuana, and alcohol. They do so at rates that are higher than anywhere else in the United States.
The unfortunate thing about these drugs is that most of them often lead to a drug overdose that tends to turn out to be fatal. This is why the state has been reporting hundreds of deaths every year linked to alcohol and these drugs. This is an unfortunate occurrence especially considering that deaths from a drug overdose can be prevented through speedy and high quality treatment services.
Every year, the state of Colorado loses more lives to substance abuse and addiction than to car and traffic related accidents. Although these statistics are commonly published across the state, many more people continue gambling away their lives by resorting to the abuse of alcohol and other intoxicating substances.
Unfortunately, few people seek the addiction treatment and rehabilitation services that they need. Even fewer people take their use of alcohol and drugs as gravely as they ought to do.
Among the substances of abuse that are common and popular in this state, none are quite as popular as opioids. In particular, a great majority of the people who struggle with an ongoing opioid use disorder in Colorado do so because they are addicted to prescription pain relief medications.
From 2000 to 2015, for instance, the state reported that the total number of deaths that were linked to a prescription opioid pain relief medication more than tripled. In the years following, this figure has not slowed down.
The problem of prescription opioid drug abuse and addiction continues growing. It is also worsened by the growing number of drug cartels that are found in the state, and which use it as a regional drug trafficking hub.
Since Colorado is a regional railway hub, these cartels use it to transport both legal and illicit drugs towards the East Coast, the Midwest, the Southwest, and California - particularly through the city of Denver.
In particular, the state plays a crucial role in the trafficking of drugs such as methamphetamine and heroin from Mexico and into the rest of the country. Not surprising, some of these drugs remain in the state - especially in its remote and rural areas.
Irrespective of the substance abuse and addiction problem you might have been struggling with - whether it involves opioids, alcohol, or any other drugs - you can be sure that it is possible to achieve recovery. Colorado has a number of high quality addiction recovery, treatment, and rehabilitation centers and they can help you overcome your addiction issues.