Drug Addiction in Minnesota

Northern States Suffer from Binge Drinking

The dense population of Minnesota centered around the twin cities combined with the state's cold climate leads to a lot of substance abuse problems. While the St. Paul-Minneapolis area has a relatively low occurence of inner city, impoverished drug activity and crime, and below-average levels of most forms of substance abuse, state-wide there is a prevalance of binge drinking and alcoholism. This is a consistent regional trend; neighboring states Michigan and North Dakota consistently joins Minnesota as states with some of the worst chronic drinking problems in the nation.

High levels of substance abuse is actually a consistent trend worldwide as you look to Northern areas. The combination of isolated rural areas, extremely cold conditions, and poverty contribute to epidemics of heroin abuse and alcoholism in Russia. However, in midwestern states that are relatively far away from major drug trafficking and organized crime networks' reach, the predominant drug of choice is alcohol.

This is particularly the case with the St. Paul-Minneapolis area, which contains 60% of the state's total population of over 5 million. Despite significant urban sprawl as well as several migrant and chronically impoverished communities, drug abuse is at or below national averages in almost all respects. The main exception here is alcohol. Minnesota has one of the highest rates in the country of alcohol use and binge drinking in the nation, especially amongst teenagers and young adults.

Prevailing Attitude Towards Alcoholism Must Turn to Addiction Treatment

A primary factor for this is the prevailing attitude in society regarding alcohol. Advertisements for drinking can be found on tv, movies, billboards, in magazines, and throughout college campuses and Minnesota's many professional sporting events. Drinking is considered a good thing by a distressing amount of high schoolers and college students despite the risks to development and the thousands of alcohol-related deaths that occur every year. And most fully developed adults have a accepting view of alcohol use as well. Therefore it is very difficult almost anywhere in America for those that are suffering from alcoholism to either realize it or for it to be identified by friends in family as something other than socially acceptable behavior. Binge drinking and alcoholism almost always result in lower life spans, cognitive impairments, and risks such as job-loss and financial problems. Those that are having trouble stopping drinking or see their life deteriorating in quality because of ongoing drinking need to be able to avoid society's encouragement to drink more and seek help.

Alcoholism often requires a full rehabilitation treatment more than most other drugs, which is why in some areas alcoholics account for as much as 90% of patients in a recovery program. Withdrawals from alcohol can be very difficult and in chronic cases it is often necessary to have some kind of assistance if not a hospitalized treatment to ensure the patient's safety. After that, the real work of recovery can begin. Using group and individual counseling, patients will work together with peers to confront and resolve emotional and psychological issues that are driving addictive behavior. Therapies such as physical exercise, yoga, meditation, and art therapy are often also used to reduce the stress of withdrawal and re-build the mental health necessary to beat a chronic drug problem. If you or someone you know is in a similar situation and needs to get out please contact us right away so that we can see what programs can help win this struggle with addiction.

Cities in Minnesota with high rates of substance abuse: Minneapolis, Saint Paul, Rochester, Duluth, Saint Cloud, Osseo, Eden Prairie, Burnsville, and Mankato

Minnesota counties with large amounts of drug abuse: Hennepin, Ramsey, Dakota, Anoka, Washington, Saint Louis, Olmsted, Stearns, Scott, Wright, and Sherburne

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