State
Facts Population: 20,851,820 Law
Enforcement Officers: 55,193 State Prison
Population: 144,810 Probation Population:
447,100 Violent Crime Rate National Ranking:
14 |
2001
Federal Drug Seizures Cocaine: 15,192.9 kgs.
Heroin: 142.0 kgs. Methamphetamine:
451.9 kgs. Marijuana: 613,107.3 kgs.
Clandestine Laboratories: 575 (DEA, state, and
local) |
Top 55 cities in Texas
Drug Abuse and Drug Addiction
Treatment
Did you know that out of all of the substances out there that are abused, alcohol is the biggest culprit in Texas? In 2008, a study showed that among students in grades four through six, twenty three percent had drunk alcohol in their lifetime. That’s twenty three out of every one hundred students between the ages of ten to twelve years old in Texas!
Individuals who begin to drink at younger ages are more likely to struggle with addiction as they get older. Not just with alcohol, but with other substances like marijuana and other illegal drugs, as well as non-medical use of prescription drugs.
While it’s easier to fall into problems with addiction when you start young, it’s also easier to get past it with a proper alcohol or drug rehab program. Life does not have to include addiction and there are ways to successfully get through it and live drug or alcohol free.
We offer a free service that can assist you or a loved one with an addiction treatment center referral to fit any budget or circumstance. We’re a national service, so we can help in Austin or anywhere else in the country. For immediate assistance, fill out the online form on this page or call our toll-free hotline 877-235-0400. Help save a life today!
There is no charge for our
services and the call is free so there is no reason not to start the recovery
process today. Addiction can be overcome. Start today.
Drug Situation: Due to its
geographical proximity to Mexico, drug smuggling/transportation throughout
Texas is dominated by Mexican trafficking organizations. They are poly-drug
organizations distributing/smuggling cocaine, heroin, marijuana, and
methamphetamine throughout the United States. Although there is a significant
drug abuse problem in Texas and drug addiction treatment is crucial, more tons
of illicit drugs pass through the state than are delivered for internal
consumption.
Cocaine: Texas is a
distribution and transshipment area for cocaine that is transported (via
passenger vehicles & tractor-trailers) to destinations throughout the
United States. Illicit transporters favor the exploitation of the commercial
trucking industry to move bulk (multi-hundred kilogram) quantities of cocaine.
Smaller loads are routinely seized from privately owned vehicles or from
couriers utilizing public transportation. In the major metropolitan areas and
the small towns crack cocaine remains easily attainable. Crack and cocaine are
cited as the primary concern of a number of individuals entering drug rehab
centers.
Heroin: Mexican black tar and Mexican brown heroin
continue to remain the primary heroin threats. As with cocaine and marijuana,
Texas is a distribution and transshipment point for heroin going to other
locations in the United States. There has also been an increase in the
availability of Colombian and Southwest Asian heroin. The common methods of
smuggling heroin are in private vehicles and couriers. The increased
availability of heroin has lead to an increase in the number of addicted
individuals admitted to addiction treatment centers as a result of heroin
abuse.
 Methamphetamine: Methamphetamine is readily
available throughout the state, and. enforcement activities in Texas related to
methamphetamine aubse continue to escalate. Mexican-manufactured
methamphetamine is being transported into the region via passenger and
commercial vehicles. Small toxic laboratories produce small quantities of
extremely high-quality methamphetamine and are encountered in both rural and
urban areas of Texas. Methamphetamine abuse is the primary concern for a
significant number being admitted to drug rehab centers.
Club Drugs: Club drugs
are available in all the major metropolitan areas. The most frequently abused
of these club drugs are Ecstasy (MDMA), LSD, Ketamine, and GHB. Raves are a
primary venue for MDMA distribution, as are clubs and gyms. Other dangerous
drugs readily available include Rohypnol and PCP. Club drugs are increasingly
listed among the primary drugs of choice by individuals seeking drug addiction
treatment.
Marijuana: Marijuana remains readily
available and is the most widely used illegal drug throughout the state of
Texas. Transportation of marijuana from Mexico continues to occur in large
quantities. At the Ports of Entry, ton quantity seizures of marijuana are made
from commercial trucks entering the United States. Maritime smugglers exploit
the coastline along the Gulf of Mexico. Increased enforcement activity has led
to the seizure of several indoor grow operations.
Prescription
Drugs: The most common methods of diversion of pharmaceutical
controlled substances continue to be illegal and indiscriminate prescribing and
doctor shopping. OxyContin abuse is on the increase. Oxycontin
abuse is an increasing reason for individuals entering drug rehab
centers.
DEA Mobile Enforcement Teams:
This cooperative program
with state and local law enforcement counterparts was conceived in 1995 in
response to the overwhelming problem of drug-related violent crime in towns and
cities across the nation. There have been 359 deployments completed resulting
in over 14,456 arrests of violent drug criminals as of April 1, 2002. There are
three DEA Divisions in Texas: Dallas, El Paso, and Houston. Combined, they have
completed 32 Mobile Enforcement Team (MET) deployments throughout the state
since the inception of the program, resulting in 1,261 arrests and the seizure
of 286.6 pounds of cocaine, 29.3 pounds of crack cocaine, 9.3 pounds of heroin,
941 pounds of marijuana, 33.3 pounds of methamphetamine, and one clandestine
methamphetamine laboratory. Also seized were 42 vehicles, 122 weapons, and over
$1million in U.S. currency and property.
Addiction Treatment Centers Needed:An increase in the availability
of illicit drugs, naturally, means an increase in the need for addiction
treatment centers with effective drug addiction treatment programs. Drug rehab
centers must be able to handle an individual's addiction and help the
individuals become a productive member of their community. |