Kansas

Kansas is faced with several serious drug threats, problems which negatively impact all residents in the state. The problem of substance abuse in Kansas is widespread, and all age groups, ethnicities and both genders are affected by this and experience consequences from it. Because all of the consequences of substance abuse are so serious, and affect not only ones health but affect so many other areas of ones life, it is important that individuals knows that there are answers to it. No one involved in substance abuse needs to continue down this self destructive path, not even one more day. For parents, there are many resources to help with their youth who may either be involved in substance abuse or at very high risk of becoming involved. For adults in Kansas who need help, there are several ways to go about treating the problem and many resources that one can take advantage of to help someone else who is abusing drugs of alcohol.

In Kansas, alcohol is the most commonly abused substance for both youth and adults in the state. Among adults in the state over the age of 18, there is a very high rate of binge drinking which correlate with deaths associated with alcohol as well as alcohol related motor vehicle accidents and deaths in the state. Not to mention the effects of heavy drinking to ones health which is directly associated with instances of chronic liver disease in Kansas. And this is not just a problem among adults in the state, where over half of high school seniors report drinking in the 30 days and where nearly 1 in 4 children will try alcohol before their 13^th birthday. This is such a serious problem, that over 8% of children in Kansas aged 12 and older are considered alcohol dependent or are currently abusing alcohol.

In terms of illicit drugs of abuse in Kansas, marijuana is the primary illicit drug of choice in the state closely followed by stimulants such as methamphetamine. Despite efforts to reduce the amount of meth available in the state by shutting down manufacturing operations, the number of methamphetamine lab seizures in the state increased significantly from 100 to 143 incidents within just a two year period. And like every other state in the nation, Kansas has experienced a surge in prescription drug abuse in recent years, with prescription pain killers being a particular cause for concern. There are hundreds of deaths each year associated with drug abuse in the state, so there is a real need to address the problem effectively and reverse these up-trending rates of drug and alcohol abuse.

The most effective action that can be taken to combat the problem of substance abuse is to get help at an effective drug rehab program, either in the state of Kansas or in a neighboring state. Private long-term programs which provide treatment in an inpatient or residential setting have been proven to provide the most tangible and long-term results, so it is recommended that individuals in need of treatment consider this type of treatment option as opposed to a short-term or out-patient program.