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Drug abuse in Utah
Utah is a state located in the western hemisphere of the U.S. with a population of around 2,784,572 residents. It covers an area of 84,899 square miles. It mostly consists of rock, desert and plateau.
Utah, the name derived from the Ute tribe meaning,”people of the mountains”, became a state in 1896. Interestingly, more than 75% of Utah’s occupants reside in and immediately around Salt Lake City, which means that many areas in Utah are virtually unoccupied.
Utah has a great history of Mexican/Indian war, uranium mining, and Mormon settlers. It is also home to the Great Salt Lake that was once mistaken for an ocean because of its high salinity. Utah is known around the world for being host to the 2002 Winter Olympic Games and is also famous for its great Alta Ski Area. However, it is not typically known that it currently fights a battle with drug abusers.
This Utah drug addiction battle is mainly due to the amount of drug traffickers coming into the state. Utah has a complex transportation system. This makes it a popular hub for transporting drugs to other states in the country. Personally owned cars, as well as leased and public trailers, are the most frequently used vehicles by drug traffickers going to Utah and surrounding states. Sometimes, drugs are sent by local packing companies too. Traffickers have also been known to utilize the public bus system and airplanes.
The interstates are the main routes utilized to move drugs through and to the state of Utah. Coming in from Ogden, traffickers can use I15 and I84 to go to states in the west like California. They can also get to Idaho, Oregon, and Montana by using these interstates.
By using I80, they can go to Wyoming, as well as California and Nevada from Utah. Interstate 70 and 15 are also commonly used to go from the southern part of Utah to eastern states. Going North or South, interstates like I89, I191 go all the way from Mexico in the south to Canada in the North.
Authorities working in Utah use Operation Pipeline to lower drug abuse statistics in Utah and to catch traffickers traveling via the interstates. The operation works by getting together DEA officers and local state highway police to catch drug shipments en route. When a trafficker is busted on a highway, it is reported nationally. This is done so that they can find where the drugs are being trafficked the most.
In Salt Lake City, the international airport serves more than 300 flights each day. Additionally, there are many private and rural airports in Utah. Like Operation Pipeline, Operation Jetway is a program to report drugs coming in by plane, bus, railway, and all other public transport and mailing facilities. These reports are also on a national level.
Traffickers and large quantity drug dealers are mostly found to be Mexicans involved in crime or gang rings. The drugs found with these Mexican groups are meth, heroin, marijuana, and cocaine. These drugs are generally on their way to other states in the country through Utah. Many of these drugs wind up being sold in local cities adding to Utah substance abuse.
Officials from Utah report that the Mexican crime organizations usually have an ‘empire system’ set up. Their empire includes many levels of drug running members coming in mostly from one family. Mexican organization members will sell large quantities mostly to their own kind and will avoid selling large amounts to Caucasians at any cost.
On the street level, Mexicans, gangs, and other low-level dealers sell the drugs to residents. The Mexican organizations get their cocaine, cannabis, and heroin made in Mexico and other southern states in the U.S. They then distribute them on the streets. It is the Caucasians on a street level though that sell most meth and cannabis quantities made in Utah.
Low-level gangs sell meth, cannabis, crack cocaine, heroin, and club drugs like MDMA.
Many of the gangs contain members of multiple races. Some, though, have members that are from a single race. One gang commonly found in the state is the Surenos 13. Also, the Tongan Crip Regulators are present in Utah.
Motorcycle gangs sell mostly meth on a street level, but they do sometimes sell other types of drugs too. The Sundowners are a motorcycle gang found in Utah, while other gangs like the Barons also exist. Reports indicate that these motorcycle gangs make and sell meth in Utah.
Motorcycle gangs are also big crime contributors. They are often indicted for stealing credit cards and cars. Other crimes include violent beatings, gambling, and prostitution rings. These gangs do not fight with each other as they often operate in tandem. Most of their violence is aimed toward other residents and low-level drug dealers.
The occupants of Utah have a drug abuse rate that is generally the same or less than that of the entire nation. In 1999 and 2000, there were a reported 5% of all residents in Utah who had used illegal drugs within the past month. Nationally, the figure stood at 6.3%. The substance abuse report in Utah high schools though, is less than that of the national level.
Arrests that involved illegal substances were also lower in Utah than national statistics. Federal arrests related to illegal substances were down to 17.2 in 2001 from 20.6 in ‘97, while the national average was 41.2.
Utah’s financial burden for illegal substance addiction is huge. Utah narcotic abuse statistics reported that $ 500 million was spent in '98 alone for drug rehabilitation. This made up 12% of Utah’s total finances for that year.
Rehab centers in Utah strive to keep Utah drug addiction down by providing treatment to residents. Treatment is available for residents of all ages, including the youth. Staff in the treatment centers are certified and dedicated to ensure the residents’ recovery. The most important factor in recovery though is the abuser’s willingness to quit drugs and remain drug free.
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