New York is famously known as the City of Dreams. People would always come to this beautiful city for a big shot at their dreams. It’s the biggest city in the United States of America with over eight million population. But just like any other state in America, the Big Apple is also struggling with drug and alcohol problems. The whole country is struggling with the ongoing problem of opioids like heroin and prescription painkillers.
The state is currently facing unique challenges regarding drug abuse and addiction. This problem is because New York is, in fact, one of the major commercial and cultural hubs in the whole world.
Even if New Yorkers are more likely to seek help with their addiction compared to other states, drug abuse and addiction continue an upward trend until now.
Mortality Rate
Over the past decade, New York’s drug problem increased a significant number in opioid-related deaths compared to other states. This drug epidemic continues to kill record numbers of Americans.
In 2017, a recent study recorded the mortality rates across the state. Here are some of the New York counties and their recorded mortality rates:
| Suffolk County | 823 |
| Queens County | 464 |
| New York County | 534 |
| Nassau County | 501 |
| Kings County | 521 |
| Bronx County | 461 |
| Erie County | 377 |
| Richmond County | 248 |
The Empire State as a Trafficking Hub
One of the primary reasons why illegal drugs are available in New York is the city’s dense population. The ports in the area handle several traffic and shipments from around the world. Shipments from other countries that may contain addictive drugs may be hard to detect. Also, the crowded nature of the city makes it easy for pushers and abusers to blend in.
Opioids
The whole of America including New York and other states is facing a big problem when it comes to opioids. Popular opioids that addicts use are heroin and fentanyl. There’s a disturbingly high number of heroin overdoses when it’s mixed with other drugs hit the street. Fentanyl is 50 times stronger than heroin.
Synthetic Marijuana
Aside from opioids, New York is also in hard times with the rising number of abusers that uses K2, marijuana synthetic. It’s popular with homeless people in New York.
Alcohol and Binge Drinking
To add with the opioids and synthetic marijuana, there are also several alcohol abusers as well. Binge drinking can lead to criminal activity, domestic violence, and other problems.
The risks of substance abuse can have a negative impact on one’s life. Whether they’re dealing with an issue, the financial, physical and psychological costs are high. Learning about rehabs in New York may be the best way to confront your addiction.
Cities of New York
- Albany
- Amsterdam
- Auburn
- Batavia
- Beacon
- Binghamton
- Buffalo
- Canandaigua
- Cohoes
- Corning
- Cortland
- Dunkirk
- Elmira
- Fulton
- Geneva
- Glen Cove
- Glens Falls
- Gloversville
- Hornell
- Hudson
- Ithaca
- Jamestown
- Johnstown
- Kingston
- Lackawanna
- Little Falls
- Lockport
- Long Beach
- Mechanicville
- Middletown
- Mount Vernon
- New Rochelle
- New York City
- Newburgh
- Niagara Falls
- North Tonawanda
- Norwich
- Ogdensburg
- Olean
- Oneida
- Oneonta
- Oswego
- Peekskill
- Plattsburgh
- Port Jervis
- Poughkeepsie
- Rensselaer
- Rochester
- Rome
- Rye
- Salamanca
- Saratoga Springs
- Schenectady
- Seneca
- Sherrill
- Syracuse
- Tonawanda
- Troy
- Utica
- Watertown
- Watervliet
- White Plains
- Yonkers
