Australian researchers in a recent study estimated that as many as 203 million people use marijuana, 56 million people use amphetamines including meth, 21 million people use cocaine and 21 million people use opiods like heroin.
Louisa Degenhardt of the Sydney based National Drug and Alcohol Research Center is stating that the 200 million number does not include people who use ecstasy, hallucinogenic drugs, inhalants, benzos or anabolic steroids. That is one reason it’s likely a vase underestimate of illicit drug use. “Drug use is often hidden, particularly when people fear the consequences of being discovered for using drugs, such as being imprisoned.” Degenhardt said in a press conference. “It is likely that injectable drug users have increased and that is a major direct cause of HIV, hepatitis C transmission globally.”
Up to 39 million people are considered “problematic” or dependent drug users and up to 21 million people inject drugs, according to this report.
Louisiana inpatient drug rehabs often have to deal with many of these people who are injecting drugs on a daily basis.
What does illicit drug use do? Well it has dangerous health effects, including overdosing, accidental injury caused by intoxication. There is also long term organ damage. They are thought to shave 13 million years of the life span of users worldwide. A 2000 report by the World health Organization pointed to roughly 241,000 deaths being caused by illicit drug use and that is double the number from 1990. The Lancet published today that “Intelligent policy responses to drug problems need better data for the prevalence of different types of illicit drug use and the harms that their use causes globally. This need is especially urgent in high-income countries with substantial rates of illicit drug use and in low-income and middle-income countries close to illicit drug production areas.”
It seems there is some awareness of drug use in this world and all of us want to find a solution to all this drug use and abuse.
Metairie drug rehabs might be closer to an answer if they use the latest scientific findings as part of their process.
