In 2017, the government of Arizona decided to declare a state of emergency over drug use statewide. This state of emergency lasted nearly a year before the government lifted it in 2018.
Drug abuse in Arizona continues to be a significant problem. According to Granite Mountain Behavioral Health Care, while many of the drugs in question are illicit substances smuggled illegally over the border, others are prescription medications that are fairly easy to obtain. Here are some of the most commonly abused drugs in the state.
1. Methamphetamine
Methamphetamine stimulates the central nervous system. It is a versatile drug with many possible routes of administration. Because of this and the strong effect it has on the body, its use is common in Arizona. Meth is highly addictive and is the highest drug abuse threat in the state. Though clandestine labs in the United States may produce it, most of the meth in use in Arizona comes from Mexico.
2. Cocaine
Like meth, cocaine works as a central nervous system stimulant. Unlike meth, which is a synthetic substance, cocaine is a natural substance that comes from the leaves of the coca plant. Cocaine comes in powdered form or in a crystallized, smokable form called crack.
3. Opioids
Opioids are either natural substances derived from the opium poppy or synthetic or semi-synthetic substances that have a similar effect on the body. Another name for “opioid” is “narcotic” because the substances deaden feeling and can produce a stupor-like state. Heroin is a potent opioid with no accepted medical uses, but many opioids are medications that doctors can prescribe for pain.
In fact, many people who use heroin first become addicted to prescription opioids. With access to prescription medicines restricted, they turned to heroin because it was easier to obtain.
