Alcoholism and drug addiction San Jose California

The city of San Jose is the third most populous city in California and the tenth largest in the United States. The largest city in the San Francisco Bay area, San Jose is also referred to as the capital city of the Silicon Valley. With a population of 948,279 people as of 2008 census results, the city has seen immense growth industrially and agriculturally.

Like most of the cities in California, alcoholism/drug abuse in San Jose is a rampant social issue. Illicit drugs like marijuana are also highly available in the city, with as many as 25% of the youth in the city between the ages of 18-25 regularly using it. The entire state of California is also troubled by the easy availability of cocaine, the drug of choice for many adults, collegians, and high school students.

This citys party culture also does not help the cause when it comes to fighting alcoholism and drug abuse in San Jose, CA. Heroin and derivatives of cocaine in the form of crack are also easily available in the city. The youth is also plagued by the ever persistent supply of methamphetamines, which remains a larger issue for the entire northern Californian belt.

Owing to the party culture in the state, alcoholism is also a phenomenon that affects people of all ages. There is a high incidence of DUIs in San Jose, with numbers for some ages reaching as high as 40%. Overall, regular users of alcohol are also prone to using marijuana than those who do not drink alcohol.

The most susceptible age group for drug abuse is between 18-25 years, with a high incidence of regular users of drugs like MDMA, LSD and ecstasy. Most of these club drugs are available even in densely populated areas in the city.

Fortunately though, trends in recent years have seen a drop in teens and young adults resorting to the use of ecstasy and other derivatives of the drug. A 40% decline in drug usage is an indicator of the success on the part of drug prevention and rehab programs in the city. There has also been a fall in the growth rates of new users of marijuana, which, in recent years, was at an alarming high.

San Jose drug abuse can be tied with local crime rates like in any other city. Nearly 60% of all registered criminals have been reported to be drug addicts. Incarcerated individuals in prisons also seem to have a high accessibility of drugs, with many new users emerging from jails.

Drug abuse statistics for San Jose California have revealed that there is a decline in the growth rate of newer drug users, especially among the youth aged between 13-25 years. Though this is a good sign, a lot more focus needs to be diverted towards the prevention of alcoholism and drug abuse in San Jose, California, as it is a well known fact that regular users of alcohol and illicit drugs like marijuana ultimately end up as hard drug addicts.

Thus, we have to unite as one to fight against substance abuse and safeguard the future for our younger generations.