Drug addiction in Utah has been a burning problem since several decades. Today, there are several treatment methods present in the state, specific to different kinds of addictions, but even then the problem is far from being completely eradicated from the state. There are various drugs being used prominently in the state, and that is indicated by the specialized rehab centers that are present in the state.

Some of the substances that figure prominently on the scene of drug addiction in Utah include heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine, marijuana and prescription drugs. Let us spare a brief look at each of these kinds of addictions.

Heroin Addiction in Utah

Indubitably, heroin is the most prominent substance in the field of drug addiction in Utah. The problem is compounded by the fact that there are purer forms of the substance present in the state, coming straight from Mexico which has the purest supply of the substance. Both black tar and brown varieties of Mexican heroin are available in Utah at a high price but with minimal effort. At the same time, this drug is sourced from neighboring states such as California, New Mexico and Texas.

One of the most distinguishing aspects of heroin drug addiction in Utah is that the substance is available through trafficking as well as local distribution. This local distribution is conducted through dispatchers in seedy corners of the state and areas such as parking lots.

Due to this widespread availability of heroin in the state, the addiction has reached immensely high levels in the state. The number of heroin treatment centers has also increased in the past few years.

According to the statistics provided by the Treatment Episode Data Set by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, close to 14,000 admissions take place each year in alcohol and drug rehab centers in the state of Utah. Over the last two years, the number of persons who have sought admissions for heroin addiction treatment has remained fairly constant at 8%.

Cocaine Addiction in Utah

The easy availability of cocaine in Utah makes it another serious kind of drug addiction to contend with. Again this drug is majorly sourced through Mexico and is brought into the state by the drug trafficking organizations. In fact, some of these sources are so widespread that they bring in quantities of the substance in kilograms. The substance brought in from Mexico is completely pure, and this purity has remained constant for the past few years. There is also a strong presence of the highly addictive crack cocaine in the state. The main hubs of cocaine drug addiction in Utah are Dallas and Miami.

The number of people getting admissions into these rehab centers over the past two years has remained fairly constant at 5.6%.

Marijuana Addiction in Utah

Most of the marijuana that comes in the state of Utah is sourced from Mexico. Marijuana is grown locally in the state. This growth has only been increasing in recent years as newer and newer forms of technology are being introduced into the state. Apart from Mexico, other main sources of marijuana for Utah are British Columbia and Canada.

In sheer numbers, cocaine forms the highest share of people seeking admissions in drug and alcohol rehab centers in the state. About 19% of the people seeking admissions in rehab centers are looking for marijuana treatment.

Methamphetamine Addiction in Utah

Methamphetamine is a growing threat in Utah. This substance has increased in number and consumption over the last decade. The main supply of methamphetamine in Utah remains from Mexico and it is also sourced from the drug trafficking route that passes through California, Colorado and Texas. It is found that the purity of methamphetamine coming to Utah from these areas is increasing over the years.

Contributing to the treat of methamphetamine addiction in Utah is the large number of meth labs that have sprung up so very prominently in the state. These labs produce methamphetamine from locally available materials including cough syrups, antifreeze and lantern fuel. Though there have been several seizures of these meth labs over the last few years, there are still a lot of them left in the state, producing a large amount of the substance and distributing it at a statewide level, mostly in the areas where the youth groups frequent.

These were the basic kinds of substances present on the scene of drug addiction in Utah. However, this is not all. Alcohol is also a major problem in the state, forming a lions share of the number of persons going in for addiction treatment each year.