Illinois Drug Statistics Are Higher Than Ever

Drug addiction is not a new concept. This is true for the nation as it is true for the state of Illinois. However, the rate of drug abuse is worse in some states than it is in others. The state of Illinois in particular sees a high number of drug addiction. In addition, the Illinois drug statistics continue to see an increase in the number of drug users who live there. There are close to 3 million people living in Illinois. Of these 3 million people, at least half have tried an illicit drug at least one time during their life span. This is highly due to the large presence of drugs in the state. The drugs come from drug traffickers of all nationalities who transport the drugs in through Chicago which serves as a transport hub of mass proportions.

Chicago is actually home to the biggest truck center in the entire nation. The truck center has more than 200 terminals. Every year, there are somewhere close to $800 billion in merchandise and products that are transported through Illinois which has made this state number one for transport in the whole nation. Unfortunately, this is also the way drugs are trafficked so easily through the state. The drugs are mixed in with legit goods and hidden in commercial trucks as they are transported first through Chicago and on to other areas in the state. In fact, the freight that was aimed for transport to Illinois in 97 was equal to more than $42 billion and came from known drug hubs like New York and Texas.

The drug reports for the state of Illinois come from local and state authorities who report that powder cocaine and crack presence, abuse and sales are the number one threat in the north and middle sections of the state as well as some of the urban neighborhoods located in the southern part of the state.

Crack cocaine is directly linked with more violence and crime in the state than other drugs. The crack is made and sold by local African American and Hispanic dealers on the streets. This is after the powder cocaine is sold to them wholesale by Mexican drug trafficking organizations. The cocaine is brought from the southern border by means of commercial trucks carrying legit merchandise. The number of people arrested and sentenced federally for violations linked to crack cocaine in Illinois, is far ahead of the rest of the nation.

Illinois drug statistics further show that because heroin presence and use is rising, this drug is listed as a threat of secondary nature. This is most often the case in Chicago Illinois. Although it is still present in other areas of the state as well. Furthermore, marijuana is more widely abused and obtainable than any other drug in the state of Illinois. Meth is also on the rise across the state and club drugs like ecstasy, GHB are making their way up the popularity ladder with the younger generations living in urban cities.

Drugs in Illinois have never been more available than right now. Authorities both on a local and state scale seize more and more drugs each year, a trend that has been continuing since the early Nineties. During a period of One year from 98-99, there was an increase in the dollar worth of illicit drugs taken by officials in Illinois from $204 to $348 million. In addition, there were more drugs seized by officials during the first half of the year during 99 then both 97 and 98 put together. These statistics show that the presence of illicit drugs is increasing rapidly. Where there are drugs though, there is always drug addiction. This causes the need for drug treatment centers to step in and try to aid Illinois residents in quitting the abuse of drugs because it is likely that the abuser will not quit on their own.

So far, Illinois drug statistics have proven that there is a large presence of drugs in the state and that the drugs are being sold to the residents. This means that the resident use is increasing as well and anytime you see drug use, unfortunately you also see drug deaths. It is a sad situation for anyone who has to be involved in the death of a friend or loved one due to drug overdose, although this happens far too often with drug users. During 1998, it was reported that 803 people died due to the abuse of drugs in Chicago alone. This number was 32% larger than the number of drug deaths reported 3 years earlier. One drug related death is too many, let alone this astonishing number.

Parents in Illinois should also be more careful with their high school kids. This is because reports tell that there are over 50% of high school students from sophomores to seniors that have tried some form of illicit drug before. A whopping 25% had taken drugs within the previous 30 days. This means that there are an awful lot of youth residents using drugs. Youth drug abusers cause more concern in the community because they are our future generation. They will either be the doctors and nurses helping to save lives or they will be the future generation of drug abusers and be involved in violent crimes that are taking lives. Whichever one, parents play a big role in their childs lives.

The fact is that drug abuse and drug related deaths can usually be prevented. It simply takes a little awareness and commitment to speak to a child about drug use and the negative effect that it could have on them. Drug addiction can also be treated to a certain extent. Drug treatment centers in Illinois have staff that are purely dedicated to fighting drug addictions in the state. Treatments can be most effective the earlier the addiction is caught though. So if you find that your child is using drugs, it is important that you get help for them right away. This will ensure that the drug abuse treatment will have the highest chance possible of being successful. Your childs life and future depend on it.