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Not a Poor Man’s Game: Higher Rate of Drug Abuse Found in Richer Nations

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It’s a stereotype that drug abuse is the problem of the poor, that those in low-income neighborhoods and countries are far more likely to struggle with the abuse of illicit substances than those who have more money. According to the US National Library of Medicine, a new study reports that this is not the case; more than 200 million people around the world abuse drugs and alcohol every year and that use is most prevalent in the wealthier nations.

Dr. Jeffrey T. Parsons is a professor in the department of psychology at Hunter College. He says that the study “serves to confirm something addiction experts have known for some time – that the extent of illicit drug use and abuse in developed countries like the United States has reached epidemic proportions.”

The focus, according to Parsons and other medical professionals in the United States, should be on treating the issue, getting help to those who are living with an active drug dependence and helping others to avoid falling into the trap of addiction.

It sounds simple, but it’s a pretty tall order. Drug dependence across substances is at epidemic proportions, according to the new study. Currently:

  • As many as 203 million people abuse marijuana
  • Between 12 million and 21 million people abuse opiates
  • Between 14 million to 56 million people abuse amphetamines
  • Between 14 million to 21 million people abuse cocaine
  • Between 11 million and 21 million people are injection drug users

The UN Office on Drugs and Crime estimates that the highest rate of marijuana abuse was found in Australia and New Zealand with as much as 15 percent of the population between the ages of 15 and 64 abusing the drug. Amphetamine use was also highest in New Zealand and Australia, but cocaine use was highest in North America, and heroin and opiate addiction was highest in the Middle East.

The biggest concerns of these high rates of drug abuse and addiction are the health problems that result. The World Health Organization estimates that a quarter of a million deaths were caused by the abuse of illicit drugs in 2004, the year the data for the new study was taken. That adds up to about 2.1 million years of life lost due to illicit drug abuse and addiction.

Is drug abuse or addiction something that has taken over your life or the life of someone you care about? If you’re ready to take the next step and enroll in drug rehab, contact us today. We can find the right program for you and help you avoid becoming a statistic. Call now.