Drug abuse and alcoholism in San Francisco, California

San Francisco has a population of 808,977 residents as of 2008, and is the fourth largest city in the state of California. Popularly known as the Golden Gate City, San Francisco is densely populated and stands out largely due to its highly urbanized, colorful culture and life. It is a very popular tourist destination, and has long been the hub for many Asian Americans and the LGBT community.

The confluence of cultures in San Francisco and its proximity to Silicon Valley makes the city an affluent place to live in. However, this affluence comes at a cost. San Francisco drug abuse statistics show that a high percentage of the population is exposed to a variety of drugs, making the city one of the most heavily drug infested cities in the USA.

There are many threats that are borne out of alcoholism and drug abuse. The urbane lifestyle in this city exposes individuals across all ages to a large variety of drugs. More than 45% of the population in San Francisco has been known to have access to illicit drugs like marijuana. Marijuana remains the most easily accessible and available illicit drug across the state of California. It is also cultivated in the northern part of the state, thus allowing for easier transportation.

Alcoholism and drug addiction in San Francisco, CA go hand in hand, with around 10 or more people being arrested everyday due to DUI and alcohol/drug related arrests. Heroin usage is rampant in the city as well, and so are methamphetamines, both of which are freely available in the northern rural belt of California. Substance abuse in San Francisco, California is a major social issue, and the growth rates of addicts have shown a constant upward graph.

Luckily, there are a large number of rehabilitation and drug treatment centers throughout the city. San Francisco is credited as being home to the hippie sub-culture of the mid 1960s, and it seems to have had a problem with drug abuse ever since. Even so, narcotic abuse seems to have been brought down greatly due to many initiatives by the local and state government.

The dense downtown neighborhoods of San Francisco like Tenderloin are a perfect home for many methamphetamine labs that have come up in the Bay Area in particular. There are also many diverse ethnic neighborhoods like Chinatown here which are also prone to many drug related issues. Club and party drugs are also in high demand, with a large segment of the local population being 18-25 years of age.

The popular party culture that exists throughout the state of California is a perfect breeding ground for psychedelic and narcotic drugs. There are also many rave drugs that are available here, hence exposing the youth to a potential killer habit. Many problems stem from alcoholism, as approximately 10% of all individuals who drink heavily tend to experiment with illicit drugs at first, and then move on to more serious psychotropic substances.

The issue of substance abuse in San Francisco, California is a long standing one and needs to be tackled with diligence. Alcoholism in San Francisco, CA also requires collective public and governmental attention to nip substance abuse problems in the bud.