Montana is commonly referred to as Big Sky Country due to the fact that it is the 4th largest American state in terms of size. It also boasts a number of attractions, including but not limited to mountains and hills, charming countryside regions, and the expansive Yellowstone National Park.
With a population of around 1 million citizens, it comes as a surprise that Montana has such high rates of substances abuse and addiction. Many of these people struggle with debilitating alcohol and drug abuse problem.
From 2010 to 2015, for instance, the American Civil Liberties Union, reported that the state experienced an increase of 547 percent in terms of the drug related arrests that were made by its highway patrol law enforcement officials. Substances of abuse were also the reason for 90 percent of the state's imprisonments.
In a study conducted in 2008, over 10 percent of the residents of this state reported that they had abused illicit drugs at least once within the past month. This number was higher than the national average of 8 percent.
Most of the people who are enrolled in an addiction rehabilitation and treatment center in the state receive help for abusing drugs like heroin, amphetamines, marijuana, cocaine, and opioids and opiates such as prescription pain relief medications.
Most of the supplies of drugs coming into Montana are brought from Canada. The state boasts an expansive higher structure that has been make it easier for drug trafficking organizations to operate relatively undetected. In particular, these organizations bring substances like heroin, cocaine, and crystal meth into the state from Canada.
In the same way, the state boasts a mountainous and rural landscape that is comprised of grasslands and national forests. This allows drug traders to grow substances like marijuana - either indoor or outdoor on public land.
Additionally, heroin was responsible for a 1,500 percent increase in the number of drug violations that were reported in Montana between 2010 and 2015. By the end of the study period, 57 percent of all of these violations were linked to marijuana while over 30 percent were associated with methamphetamines.
It was reported in 2014 that more than 60 percent of the teens in high schools across Montana had binge drunk at least once in their lives. Alcohol consumption was also responsible for more than 390 deaths in the state between 2006 and 2010. This was at a rate of 37.7 deaths for every segment of 100,000 people, a figure that was the highest across the United States.
20 percent of all adults in the state also reported that they had engaged in binge drinking patterns at least once in the month prior to the survey. This number is higher than similar averages at the national stage, which were set at 16 percent.
Further, alcohol use and abuse was responsible for over 41,000 visits to emergency rooms and cases of hospitalizations in the state between 2010 and 2014 - a problem that continues growing to date.
Whether you are addicted to alcohol or to drugs, or to a combination of the two, the best decision you can make is to look for licensed and accredited rehabilitation and treatment facilities in Montana so that you can start working your way towards long term health and recovery.