Since 2002, the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) has provided data on national and state-level rates of substance abuse, highlighting trends in drug and alcohol use and showing us where states like Oklahoma stand in relation to the rest of the country. If you’re struggling with drug or alcohol abuse in Oklahoma, the NSDUH results show that you aren’t alone.
In fact, rates of dependence on illicit drugs in Oklahoma tend to be the same or higher than the average rate for the United States. These illicit drugs include marijuana, cocaine, heroin, hallucinogens, inhalants, and prescription drugs, and this kind of drug abuse is a real problem in Oklahoma. Darrell Weaver, director of the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics, has been quoted as calling prescription drug abuse “the silent cancer in Oklahoma.”
On the other hand, a look at past survey years shows that when it comes to alcohol abuse, Oklahoma has consistently ranked at or below national levels of alcohol abuse among people in all the age groups surveyed. Still, the most recent data estimates that 188,000 residents of Oklahoma who are 18 and over have a problem with alcohol abuse or dependence–certainly not an insignificant number.
If you’re one of the many Oklahomans suffering from a drug or alcohol abuse problem, you don’t need to travel far to receive effective, professional drug rehab services. Vista Taos Renewal Center, located just over the border in New Mexico, strives to provide residents of Oklahoma with easy access to its patient-centered, holistic drug treatment program. Vista Taos’ beautiful New Mexico location distances you from the surroundings you associate with past drug use, while allowing you to remain comfortably close to home, family members, and familiar surroundings.
