Cocaine Abuse in Colorado: Tips for Healthy Living

Colorado adult have been devour cocaine at a higher rate than the remainder of the state, with about 3.06% of adult in the state exploitation the drug in the past year, compare to the national average of 1.95%. The data was let_go_of by the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Colorado, along with Washington, D.C., rank at the top of the list of 50 state survey, with Vermont approach in second and D.C. in one-third topographic_point for Holocene cocaine use.

The National Survey on Drug Use and Health calculate drug use rates establish on two back-to-back old_age of data. However, due to change in data collection during the COVID-19 pandemic, the agency rede against comparison state-degree data roll_up in 2020 to other old_age. data from 2022 and 2023 has not been let_go_of yet. Even before the pandemic, Colorado was lead the state in adult cocaine use, with 4.46% of adult coverage cocaine use between 2018 and 2019.

Dr. Dale Terasaki, an addiction medicine specialist at Denver Health, note that the popularity of psychoactive substance can change establish on factor such as supply, culture, and available resource for substance maltreatment treatment. While methamphetamine is more commonly use by patient admit to Denver Health for stimulation-associate health issue, cocaine use remains prevailing in the state.

Terasaki foreground the health hazard associate with cocaine use, such as cardiovascular problem and the dangerous practice of mix cocaine with the opioid Fentanyl. This combination addition the hazard of overdose, especially for person who do not regularly use opioids and have not construct up a tolerance to them. In 2021, 269 people in Colorado fatally overdose on cocaine, with 256 overdose death report in 2022, a one-fourth of which happen in Denver.

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment is closely monitoring the situation, with attempt to address substance maltreatment issue in the state. Despite the hazard and challenge present by cocaine use, Colorado continue to see high rates of consumption, as well as general substance use, include alcohol and cannabis. The ongoing attempt to educate the populace about the danger of substance maltreatment and supply resource for treatment are necessity in battle this issue.