“He creates each of us by Christ Jesus to join him in the work he does, the good work he has gotten ready for us to do, work we had better be doing.” – Ephesians 2:10 MSG
The Problem
Alcohol-Related Death
Over the past 30 years, New Mexico has consistently had among the highest alcohol-related death rates in the United States. It has had the highest alcohol-related death rate since 1997. Over the past 15 years, New Mexico’s death rate for alcohol-related (AR) injury has consistently been among the worst in the nation, ranging from 1.4 to 1.8 times the national rate.
According to the latest estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 47% of homicides, 32% of falls injury deaths, 29% of drug overdose deaths, and 23% of suicide deaths are alcohol attributable. Likewise, alcohol consumption is the primary causal factor in roughly 45% of motor vehicle crash deaths among males aged 20-44, and in more than a third of motor vehicle crash deaths among females aged 20-44. Binge drinking is also associated with a wide range of other social problems, including domestic and sexual violence, crime, and risky sexual behavior.
Drug-Induced Death
New Mexico has the highest drug-induced death rate in the nation, and it continues to increase. The most common drugs causing unintentional overdose death for the period covered in this report were heroin (38%), prescription opioids other than methadone (35%), cocaine (34%) and alcohol/drug combinations (27%).
(Narrative and statistics taken from the October 2010 New Mexico Department of Health, New Mexico Substance Abuse Epidemiology Profile.).
(NCADD) The National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence---Facts and Information
Alcoholism and Drug Dependence Are America’s Number One Health Problem
The cost and consequences of alcoholism and drug dependence place an enormous burden on American society. As the nation’s number one health problem, addiction strains the health care system, the economy, harms family life and threatens public safety.
Substance abuse crosses all societal boundaries, affects both genders, every ethnic group, and people in every tax bracket. Scientific documentation defines alcoholism and drug dependence as a disease that has roots in both genetic susceptibility and personal behavior.
THE SCOPE OF THE PROBLEM
- There are more deaths and disabilities each year in the U.S. from substance abuse than from any other cause.
- About 18 million Americans have alcohol problems; about 5 to 6 million Americans have drug problems.
- More than half of all adults have a family history of alcoholism or problem drinking.
- More than nine million children live with a parent dependent on alcohol and/or illicit drugs.
THE CONSEQUENCES
- One-quarter of all emergency room admissions, one-third of all suicides, and more than half of all homicides and incidents of domestic violence are alcohol-related.
- Heavy drinking contributes to illness in each of the top three causes of death: heart disease, cancer and stroke.
- Almost half of all traffic fatalities are alcohol-related.
- Between 48% and 64% of people who die in fires have blood alcohol levels indicating intoxication.
- Fetal alcohol syndrome is the leading known cause of mental retardation.
THE COST
- Alcohol and drug abuse costs the American economy an estimated $276 billion per year in lost productivity, health care expenditures, crime, motor vehicle crashes and other conditions.
- Untreated addiction is more expensive than heart disease, diabetes and cancer combined.
- Every American adult pays nearly $1,000 per year for the damages of addiction.
(http://www.ncadd.org/facts/numberoneprob.html#1)
Reflections & Recovery: a solution to the addiction problem.
As concerned citizens it is time we offer a clear-cut solution to this persistent problem. It is our responsibility to make our communities safer, full of contributing citizens.