Dodge City Substance Abuse Statistics

The history of Dodge City dates back to the 1800s. While the demographic studies are still debating on the exact date, it may be assumed that the foremost settlement was established in 1847. There has been a humble growth of 2 percent in the population over the past decade, which can only be explained as an outcome of the fact that it is situated at about 2,493 feet.

The city is credited as being placed above one of the worlds largest underground water-systems, Ogalla Aquifer. Moreover, Dodge City has been famous for its cowboys, cattle & meat-rearing trade. It has a population of 25,689, according to the 2008 census. Recently, the city has recorded a rise in the number of drug addicts. Drug abuse statistics in Dodge City KS portray a dark picture.

It is surprising to note that, with such a small populace, there is an appreciable section that propagates drug addiction in Dodge City Kansas. Since about 14 percent of the population lives below poverty line, this is the major reason for the growth in the illicit drug trade in the city.

The biggest issue that concerns the city is that most of this drug peddling is actually a state wide affair. Hispanic groups throughout the State of Kansas are traffickers of cocaine, and many other ethnic groups carry out retail marketing of these drugs. If this was not all, a recent research conducted elaborately across the country has just observed that many people are involved in the abuse of prescription drugs. Rise in the number of prescription drug abuse cases is quite an upsetting fact.

According to a study, 72 percent of the people who were prescribed drugs were reported to have traces of drugs in their bodies and 71 percent refrained from returning them. Besides prescription drugs, hard-core drugs are among the other substances abused in the city.

Dodge City KS narcotic abuse statistics are a grim reminder of the fact that stringent steps must be initiated to curb the growth of the monster of substance abuse in Dodge City Kansas. Opiates are one such breed of drugs that are being abused rampantly.

Their composition (hydrocodone, morphine, codeine, and oxycodone) is known to cause drowsiness, as these affect areas of brain that apparently give the consumer an instant sense of pleasure. All this study has been widely circulated to spread awareness among the public by the Center of Disease Control & Prevention, National Institute on Drug Abuse. Yet it seems they caused a reversal of the expected outcome as this information has been misused again.

But all is not as worse it may seem. As a result of the rise in narcotic consumption in Dodge City, the need to strengthen the infrastructure of rehabilitation support systems has been felt, which has resulted in the large-scale growth of many rehab centers. Gone are the days when rehabs and their services were not affordable. There have been efforts from all around the society to introduce subsidies & special discounts for the individuals who make an effort toward rehabilitation.