Drug Abuse Statistics in Bessemer AL

Bessemer is a small Birmingham suburb situated in Jefferson County, Alabama, which was earlier known for its mining as well as steel building plants. It is interesting to note that the suburb was originally known as Brooklyn but was renamed Bessemer after Sir Henry Bessemer, the British scientist who was famous for his contribution to the steel building process.

The population of Bessemer, according to the 2005 census, was about 28,542, consisting of African Americans, White, Native Americans, Asians, Hispanic, or Latino communities and other races. It is pertinent to note that the rate of violent crimes in Bessemer is on the lower side, when compared to other cities in the state or even in the country. However, despite this being the case, the rate of alcoholism and drug addiction in Bessemer AL, like other parts of Alabama, is on the rise, especially with a lot of people indulging in various types of substance abuse, including the abuse of prescription drugs.

The most commonly abused prescription drug in Bessemer is that of drugs containing Hydrocodone, such as Vicodin, Lorcet, Narco, and Xodol. In fact, according to the Alabama Prison Crisis report, there were nearly 28% admissions related to drug possession in 2004. What is interesting is the fact that while the overall percentage of admissions in prison dropped, the percentage of people admitted under drug abuse cases increased, which leads us to believe that this was a rampant problem in the entire State of Alabama, including Bessemer.

In addition to prescription drug abuse, addiction to drugs, such as cocaine, marijuana, heroin, methamphetamine, as well as club drugs, such as LSD, Ecstasy, GHB, was also very common in Alabama, especially since marijuana is grown locally and other drugs are easily available along the Mexican border. While trying to understand the history of drug abuse in Bessemer AL, it is important to understand the importance of local networks in Alabama State, like the Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs, which are responsible for drug trafficking locally.

The Alabama State tried to counter the rising cases of drug abuse in Bessemer AL by constituting drug courts in and around Jefferson County. Besides, the state and local enforcement officials have set up DEA Mobile Enforcement teams to counter the rising drug abuse cases in this part of the state. It is interesting to note that, since the inception of this concept in the country, nearly 409 such mobile teams have been deployed, which have arrested 16,763 criminals accused of violent drug crimes. Nine of 409 mobile teams have been deployed in the State of Alabama alone.

Given the current state of affairs with the rise in drug abuse statistics in Bessemer AL, it is hardly surprising that there are several rehabilitation centers, which believe in providing holistic treatment for helping addicts get rid of their addiction problems. It is pertinent to note that most drug rehabilitation centers in Bessemer AL provide tailor-made rehabilitation programs, which are based on individual needs and requirements and depend on the kind of participation possible or extended by the individual.