New York

New York has some of the highest drug use rates in the country. The National Survey on Drug use and Health reported that in 2009-2010, New York was one of the top ten states for drug abuse in multiple categories: past-year cocaine use among persons age 12 or older; illicit drug dependence among persons age 12 and older; and illicit drug dependence among young adults age 18-25. Adding to this increased rate of drug use, an estimated 9.82% of New York residents reported past-month use of illicit drugs during 2010/2011. At the time, the national average was 8.82%. Additionally, 3.7% of New York residents reported using an illicit drug other than marijuana in the past month (the national average was 3.6%). However, the rate of drug-induced deaths in the state is below the national average. 1,797 people died in New York during 2009 as a direct consequence of drug use, abuse or addiction problems. In comparison, during that same year 1,265 people died in motor vehicle accidents and 958 from firearms.

Established in 1972 with the state’s Controlled Substances Act, the official New York State Prescription Program monitors controlled substances in the Schedules II, III, IV, and V categories. Prescription data are collected once per month from 4,500 dispensers, with 12 million prescriptions collected annually. The program, overseen by the state Department of Health, Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement, is working on a multi-media campaign to alert parents, practitioners, and related healthcare professionals to the prevalence and danger of prescription drug abuse, including among children.

Treatment Episode Data Set reports that heroin is the most commonly cited drug abused among New York drug rehab admissions. In 2011, one third of the drug rehab admissions in the state were for heroin. Heroin was followed closely by marijuana and cocaine as the next most commonly cited drugs among drug rehab admissions in New York State. Many New York residents enroll and complete treatment each year; they put an end to their addiction problem and begin living the life they were always meant to have. Those who struggle with addiction problems, yet do not pursue getting help often have a lengthy list of reasons: drug rehab is too expensive, drug rehab is too time consuming or that it will be too hard. To address these reasons and any others the addicted person might have they need to take into consideration what they have already lost due to their drug addiction. They have likely spent a small fortune on drugs or alcohol, possibly lost their job or are in dire straits of being demoted or worse, their health is most certainly affected whether they are aware of it or not and their personal relationships have suffered.�'

What drug rehab can accomplish is often viewed as nothing short of a miracle. Program participants enter treatment at the lowest point in their lives; often feeling run down and drained by their addiction. Drug rehab can finally help the addicted person put a stop to the pain and destruction they have caused in their lives. While rehab does cost money, a majority of treatment centers will work with their program participants on payment options. Yes, drug rehab does take time out of your life. But, so did getting high, recovering from the effects of the drugs and seeking out more drugs to use. To truly make the lasting changes the addicted person is looking for they will have to invest a substantial amount of their time and energy into their recovery program. The numerous gains a recovered person experiences when they compete treatment and begin to live the life they truly want to be living, drug-free and healthy make their time in drug rehab one of the best investments in their future they have ever accomplished.�'