Drug Addiction in San Diego, CA

San Diego is the second largest city in the state of California. It borders Mexico to the south and also has some fabulous beaches to boot. A part of USAs west coast, San Diego is popular for its many sights and derives most of its income from tourism. With a population of 1,279,329 people, it was touted as the fifth best place to live in the United States.

However, when it comes to substance abuse, drug addiction in San Diego, California is fuelled by illegal substance trafficking from Mexico. San Diego and its surrounding regions have been classified as a High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area, as Mexicans, in collaboration with Colombians, supply cocaine into the state through many routes. Though the state and the federal government have taken steps to fence the border to prevent easy trafficking of drugs, drug abuse is a perennial issue for the city.

With a high presence of colleges in the city, students are often experiment not only with alcohol and marijuana, but with other serious narcotic and psychotropic substances as well. Cocaine is the drug of choice for a large number of drug users and experimenters, and as much as 4 tons of cocaine is seized annually in the state.

As already mentioned, San Diegos close proximity to the Mexican border has seen a constant flow of drugs into the city. Marijuana and methamphetamines are the two major drugs that come in from the south. Hard drugs have a high relation to crime, and this is no different in San Diego, with as many as 69% of all criminal offenders testing positive for some drug or the other.

Methamphetamines remain the most lethal form of substance abuse in San Diego, CA. Mexican ice, as it is also popularly called, flows in from the borders. Strangely, it is more prevalent among female users. The San Diego County has now started many programs to battle drug addiction in San Diego. Giving out free syringes to recovering addicts was a move made by the local establishment in the 90s, and this has brought down drug related deaths in the county by a substantial amount.

What is worrying is that substance abuse in San Diego, CA is spreading among students. Despite dedicated efforts from enforcement organizations to keep drugs out of the reach of both school and college students, there is a growing trend among young adults to experiment with drugs like MDMA. San Diego is also well known for its many party spots all along the west coast, all of which are easy places for drug dealers to lure people into some form of substance abuse.

Alcoholism and drug addiction in San Diego is also a major threat. The city has churned out figures as high as 55% for DUI and alcohol related offenses. It continually remains to be seen that alcoholism and drug addiction in San Diego, California go hand in hand because of the citys rich party culture. Many party drugs are easily available not just to adults, but also to college students. Therefore, rehabilitation of drug users is something that the state has given high priority to, with many renowned rehab centers now being set up in the city.