Nebraska is ideally located in the American Midwest. As such, it comes as no surprise that drug trafficking organizations use the state as one of their major distribution hubs. In spite of this fact, the rates of fatal overdoses and substance abuse figures in the state are often lower than similar averages across the United States.
In 2010, more than 1,000 people were enrolled in an addiction treatment center for abusing stimulant drugs like methamphetamine. The same year, the second and third most commonly cited substances of abuse among admissions into these centers were for marijuana and prescription opiate pain relief medications.
Most of the illicit drugs being abused in the state - including cocaine and heroin - come in from southwestern states, California, and Mexico. They are often distributed as retail commodities in private residences, hotels, bars, restaurants, and even parking lots.
Nebraska is like the rest of the United States in the sense that it has been witnessing an increase in the rates of meth abuse and addiction. Although many people are aware of the various dangers and consequences of abusing methamphetamines, some residents of this state continue experimenting with it.
The NSDUH - the National Survey on Drug Use and Health - for 2015 and 2016 also reported that Nebraska had high rates of alcohol abuse. This is the major substance of abuse in the state, and it is only followed by methamphetamine. Other figures for the state include:
Many people in the state engage in binge drinking - making Nebraska the 9th drunkest state in the Union. Further, 7,311 people were arrested for a DUI - driving under the influence of alcohol - charge at the last count in 2016. The same year, accidents involving alcohol amounted to 1,708 while more than 37 percent of all accidents that ended up being fatal were as a result of alcohol abuse and impairment.
Compared to the rest of the United States, the state reports higher than normal rates of heavy and binge drinking. About 438,000 adults, for instance, reported that they engaged in binge drinking within the month prior to a study. This was equal to about 31 percent of this population.
In the same way, about 70 percent of all admissions into a drug or alcohol rehabilitation facility in the state cited alcohol abuse and addiction. Alcohol is also responsible for more than 4,000 hospitalizations and 300 deaths in the state on an annual basis.
There are a number of addiction treatment and rehabilitation facilities in this state. They can offer you the hope that you need to achieve a lifestyle of sobriety, health, recovery, and wellness away from your substance abuse disorder in Nebraska.