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Santa Fe, New Mexico Drug Rehabs
Santa Fe has dozens of historic sites covering thousands of years of history, ranging from ancient Native America to the Wild West, to Civil War battlefields. It is located in Santa Fe County and is the state capitol of New Mexico, with a population of 62,203 with about 2 people to each home. New Mexico is rich in culture and heritage, and the city of Santa Fe is no exception. It is well-known for hosting a vibrant arts community which highlights the multi-cultural character of the area. There are art galleries, museums, and performing arts centers. When you visit Santa Fe you will find the Art Fest, the Bead Fest, Civil War Weekend, Rodeo do Santa Fe, the Santa Fe Wine Festival, and the Harvest Festival. Santa Fe also has thousands of acres of wilderness for hiking, mountain biking, river rafting, skiing, and more. Yet with all these natural and cultural advantages, Santa Fe also has a drug problem.
Santa Fe Drug Arrests
At Santafenewmexican.com it was reported that a Santa Fe man with an extensive history of drug and assault-related charges was arrested early Sunday and accused of stabbing another man to death during an argument over illegal drugs.
Another Santa Fe man with nine drunken-driving convictions will be released from jail again next week after reaching a plea agreement Thursday. Daniel LeFebre, 47, has been in the county jail since May 24, 2010 when Santa Fe police arrested him on Cerrillos Road on suspicion of DWI.
Former Public Regulation Commissioner Jerome Block Jr. is back in jail. For the second time in a month, Block, 34, has been sent to the Santa Fe County jail after having “violated the regulations of the Drug Court Program,” according to a remand order filed Monday in the First Judicial District Court.
Unfortunately, these are incidents that are reported on a regular basis in Santa Fe; like so many other cities, our town has a clear drug problem.
What Kinds of Drugs are Available?
Marijuana is the most commonly used illegal drug in the world. A survey conducted in 2007 found that 14.4 million individuals in the US had smoked marijuana at least once during the month prior to the survey. The United States Drug Enforcement Administration has reported that marijuana is the controlled substance most frequently seized in the New Mexico area. The loads that are seized are often destined for distribution in eastern markets. Marijuana use induces many short-term effects such as poor coordination of movement and slowed reaction times. After an initial “up” the user will feel sleepy and depressed.
Cocaine is also widely available in New Mexico and in Santa Fe. Locally, it comes in quantities ranging from single grams to ounces. Santa Fe local law enforcement consistently ranks cocaine and crack cocaine as among their worst drug problems. In smaller towns such as Hobbs and Silver City, crack cocaine use and its distribution have reached levels considered to be dangerous to the quality of life there. Crack comes from cocaine HCI supplied by Mexican drug trafficking organizations. Cocaine can be obtained as a powder or as crystals. The powder form is often mixed with substances such as corn starch, talcum powder, sugar, and other drugs with local anaesthetic or amphetamine properties. Its highly addictive nature makes it a very dangerous drug. Physically, it stimulates key receptors inside the brain, creating euphoria that the user gets a tolerance to right away. Users then have to use more and more. The residents of Santa Fe know how these drugs are affecting their communities. They need effective drug rehab programs.
The Espanola Valley, an area north of Santa Fe, is consistently rated by the United States Department of Health and other statistical reporting agencies as having the highest per capita heroin overdose death rate in the U.S. Heroin is smuggled into Santa Fe in secret compartments in private vehicles and sometimes concealed on individuals known as couriers who carry it across the border. Mexican Black Tar is readily available in the city and is widely abused. It has been reported that the availability of heroin is steadily increasing over the past five years, and it is particularly widespread in Northern New Mexico. Two markers of the general increase in availability are the rise of kilogram seizures, and a steady decrease in price.
When heroin is taken, the user gets a surge of sensation called a “rush” and may experience a warm feeling on the skin, dryness of mouth, vomiting, and severe itching. After these first effects, the user will become drowsy and his breathing and heart rate will slow. Just hours after these effects lessen, the user begins to crave more of the drug, and if he doesn’t get it, he will go into withdrawal.
Alcohol is very much in the forefront of drug abuse in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Many people use it because it is not illegal for those who are of age. It is illegal for teenagers to have it, but young people in Santa Fe get their fair share of it. In the U.S. in 2007 the death toll from teenage drunk driving accidents was 1,393—nearly four fatalities every day. Motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of deaths among teenagers in the US and are responsible for more than one in three deaths of American teenagers. According to the national Highway Traffic Safety Administration, of the teen drivers killed on the road in 2006, 31% had been drinking. Santa Fe has problems that parallel these statistics. For most people these are only statistics—shocking perhaps, but only statistics. But for the families of those who die in these accidents, it is a tragic loss. Alcohol distorts a person’s perceptions and judgments. People under the influence of alcohol readily admit that their reaction times are slower than when not drinking; they also take many more chances than they would when sober. Santa Fe residents are well aware of drunk driving and its effects in the community. The time has come for real, effective drug and alcohol treatment programs.
For more information on drug abuse and drug rehab treatment in other parts of New Mexico, please consult the following:
Albuquerque, New Mexico Drug Rehabs