Drug addiction is an open secret all across the country. Everybody knows it’s a problem, but few acknowledge its presence, or its effects, closer to home. The National Institutes of Health reports that more than 90,000 people die from drug overdoses every year — and that number comes with a disclaimer that the government does not track statistics related to all drugs. Health officials say Texas has one of the highest rates of drug addiction and abuse.
The type of drugs most prevalent in an area vary from region to region. Because of its proximity to Mexico, in addition to alcohol the drugs raising the most concern here are opioids, ranging from Fentanyl to stronger drugs such as heroin and heroin.
Of greatest concern are our younger residents. The NIH reports that even though the legal drinking age in most states including Texas is 21, 70% of high-school seniors say they have had alcohol. Half of them will have taken at least one illegal drug and 20% will have taken prescription medication without a medical reason.
Moreover, drug addiction is most likely to begin during adolescence and young adulthood.
Such information is especially concerning because the adolescent brain isn’t fully developed, and at that age drugs are more likely to create cognitive or behavioral problems including ADHD, reduced decision-making ability and violent or antisocial behavior.
Fortunately, several South Texas facilities exist to help people deal with addiction and other drug-related problems, from South Padre Drug and Alcohol Rehab to Outcomes Detox and Recovery Center in Brownsville, Palmer Drug Abuse Program in McAllen and several others.
Officials at such facilities, however, believe they’re being underutilized. The number of people seeking their help doesn’t compare with the level of addiction that is evidenced in the Valley, based on medical, accident and police reports.
Low use of those centers often is based on simple pride — many drug and alcohol abusers don’t acknowledge that they have a problem. That pride can be coupled with fear, not just among the addicts but also their families, that treatment can bring negative repercussions at work or among their friends.
Such concerns can be valid, and everyone can help to erase negative stigmas attached to alcohol and drug misuse and addiction. These should be seen as medical conditions rather than personal faults. People with such problems need to see them like they see other medical problems and seek treatment.
Our legal system also should note the involuntary, medical nature of addiction, and consider rehabilitative treatment in more drug-related cases — especially younger people being tried on their first offenses who could face a lifetime of social and professional problems related to a criminal conviction. People facing charges for such nonviolent crimes, in which the accused also is the only victim, it seems a better option than tossing them in cages with more violent inmates.
Help exists for people who are mired in alcohol and drug addiction. They, and all Valley residents, should recognize that help, and utilize it; it’s often the most effective, humane and cost-effective option.
