Drug Addiction in Utah

Rapid Expansion in America has its Addiction Costs

Despite the thousands of miles of desert and wild, Utah has been one of the fastest growing states of the 21st century. Salt Lake City in particular has innovated itself into a business and technology center that has brought in an economic boom that has defied many aspects of the recent recession, keeping unemployment much lower than the national average.

With just a few main interstate corridors and developed areas, the vast majority of Utah's population lies in Salt Lake City's larger metropolitian area. This has created significant urban challenges unlike anywhere nearby for hundreds if not thousands of miles. Utah's Mormon majority population enforces a number of unusual restrictions, including a gambling ban and tight restrictions on the sale of alcohol. However this does not change the fact that the major urban area of Utah has serious drug addiction and mental health problems.

State Prohibitions Bear Unusual Addiction Treatment Consequences

Statistically speaking, alcohol restrictions in Utah seem to have an impact. The rate at which alcoholics have entered into alcohol rehab in the last few years have been bottoming, and the rate at which alcoholics are getting the treatment they need are unusually high. However, drug abuse is rampant in Utah and is not being fought as effectively. Utah has some of the highest rates in the country of teenagers and young adults who are not receiving proper drug addiction treatment. Heroin and especially methamphetamine are abused in far greater amounts in the Salt Lake City area. According to federal data these drugs are abused at higher rates than alcohol in 18-34 year olds.

However, these rates are also somewhat skewed because more than half of all those admitted to addiction treatment therapy in the state are law enforcement referrals. Utah tends to be tough on drug crime, which is beneficial assuming arrested addicts are referred to drug addiction treatment. Nationwide there are millions of addicts, especially alcholics and prescription pill abusers, whose activities do not get them in trouble and they do not seek addiction treatment on their own. This is a difficult situation for many people, especially in a state whose powerful religious community preaches abstinence and heavily stigmatizes those that fall out of line. While interventions and other forms of tough love may be essential to treating someone, unfortunately treating a chronic addict very harshly without offering any solutions is not what they need.

Someone suffering from a severe alcohol, cocaine, meth, or heroin addiction is very likely going to need to seek the help of a drug and alcohol rehab center. Recovering at an addiction treatment facility will not just detoxify patients but reconstitute their mental health and feeling self-worth. Therapies and counseling are specially designed for everyone to deal with emotional trauma and other psychological problems that drive addictive and unsafe behavior. Ultimately our addiction treatment program re-instills a will to live a sober and happy life for our patients. If you are having a hard time helping a loved one fight an addiction problem, the answer is not to give up on them. The staff of our drug rehab and recovery center is here to help you or your loved one to take the first steps necessary to recover from addiction.

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Utah cities with high drug abuse trends: Salt Lake City, Ogden, West Jordan, Sandy, Provo, Orem, Saint George, Layton, Logan, and Clearfield

Utah counties with statistically high substance abuse: Salt Lake, Utah, Davis, Weber, Washington, and Cache

A Center for Addiction Recovery treats the following addiction problems:

A Center for Addiction Recovery offers the following addiction treatment programs: