A Deep Dive Into Alcohol and Substance Abuse Numbers in NM
Over the years, New Mexico and some cities have earned the top spot in many categories. For example, Santa Fe, NM was recently ranked the best mountain biking city in the country. Albuquerque was named one of the best coffee cities in America. The state ranked as the country’s top geological destination and the next big ecotourism destination.
Unfortunately, New Mexico’s most recent recognition was one that no state ever wants to be known for — the number one state for drug addiction and drug overdose deaths. In a nation that’s neck-deep in a drug crisis of epic proportions, this statistic is nothing short of alarming.
But how did New Mexico get here? Let’s look more closely at drug abuse in New Mexico statistics to gain a better understanding of the issue.
To this end, we will break down the issue of drug and alcohol dependence in New Mexico, taking a deep dive into the statistics surrounding drug overdose deaths, and drug and alcohol addiction, and uncovering the facts about everything from prescription opioids to cocaine use.
And remember, if you or a loved one are struggling with substances in our home state, Icarus is available for support by confidential call at any time.
New Mexico: The Most Commonly Abused Drugs
Before we look any further into the root cause of the challenges with illicit drugs in New Mexico, let’s take a closer look at the data collected regarding the most widely used substances.
As of 2020, New Mexico reported the following among all individuals who reported suffering from some type of substance abuse disorder:
- 101,012 reported cases of alcohol addiction
- 38,989 reported opioids as their preferred illicit drugs
- 21,694 reported methamphetamine substance use
- 17,776 reported marijuana as their DOC
- 15,987 claimed benzodiazepines as their addiction
These stats are mainly in line with the rest of the United States with regard to use preference. However, let’s take a look at just how drastic the problem is. The next section compares usage rates in New Mexico against the national average.
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New Mexico Drug Use vs National Average Drug Use
The list below demonstrates the percentage of the population that engages in the specified behavior in New Mexico compared to the United States. Although taken in 2019, this gives fairly accurate insight into New Mexico’s challenges relative to the rest of the country in multiple areas.
Last 12 Months Illicit Substance Use Disorder
- United States: 2.93%
- New Mexico: 4.01%
Last 12 Months Pain Reliever Use Disorder
- United States: 0.77%
- New Mexico: 0.86%
Last 12 Months Alcohol Use Disorder
- United States: 5.92%
- New Mexico: 8.40%
Last 12 Months General Substance Use Disorder
- United States: 7.82%
- New Mexico: 10.46%
Last 12 Months Cocaine Use
- United States: 1.94%
- New Mexico: 2.48%
Last 12 Months Opioid Use
- United States: 4.62%
- New Mexico: 5.48%
New Mexico surpasses the United States in every major category — and it’s not limited to one certain demographic. As a whole, adults, young teens, and high school students all eclipse the United States average in terms of use and full-blown addiction.
Regardless of the demographic, drug use, drug-related deaths, and drug addiction are all tragic elements that nearly everyone must face in some manner. However, things are especially tragic when it comes to the youth of our country. Let’s take a deeper dive into the drug use statistics regarding the youngest residents of New Mexico.
Drug Use In New Mexico Children and Teens
Although tragedy can strike anywhere, overdoses tend to hit the younger demographic the hardest. This can be attributed to multiple factors: Young users are inexperienced, often with no understanding of the gravity of the situation they’re entering. In addition, young people are also more naive, and at risk for being given a substance that’s cut or laced with something deadly.
Yet another risk is the forever-present problem of peer pressure. Young people feel the need to fit in and earn the respect of their peers, making drug use more attractive if it means keeping up with more popular kids they look up to.
The section below breaks down the outlook of drug use and overdose among the youngest resident demographic in New Mexico. It’s worth noting all of the statistics below are taken from students in grades 9-12.
New Mexico Youth & Alcohol
- Currently drinking on occasion: 28.6%
- Engage in binge drinking: 12.1%
- Consumed 10+ Drinks at once: 3.6%
- Drove drunk: 6.8%
New Mexico Youth & Drug Related Issues
- Heroin/Fentanyl: 3.3%
- Methamphetamine: 3.3%
- Cocaine: 4.8%
- Inhalants: 5.5%
- Prescription Drugs: 11.3%
- Marijuana: 27.7%
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Drug Overdose & Alcohol Related Deaths
New Mexico reported an extremely high number of alcohol related deaths between 2017 and 2021. The challenge with tracking deaths related to drugs is that record-keeping typically stops with overdoses or vehicle-involved fatalities.
Alcohol, on the other hand, is traced and noted in multiple incidents of death, including liver-related ailments and other diseases, and not limited solely to alcohol overdose.
Consider the data below, which attributes alcohol to multiple deadly events:
Drug Overdose Death
- United States: 32.4%
- New Mexico: 34.4%
Alcohol Related Motor Vehicle Death
- United States: 4.6%
- New Mexico: 7.4%
Alcohol Related Injury Resulting In Death
- United States: 18.2%
- New Mexico: 34.8%
Alcohol Related Chronic Disease
- United States: 29.7%
- New Mexico: 48.4%
What’s Behind the Substance Use Issue In New Mexico?
The most important question regarding the addiction and drug abuse issues in New Mexico is: What’s leading to the drastically high numbers in every substance use category?
The easiest culprit to place the blame on is Mexican drug trafficking organizations— otherwise known as drug cartels. This is certainly a huge factor in the substance use issues in the state and one that comes with great social welfare costs in more ways than one.
The Mexican Drug Cartels
Mexican drug cartels wreak particular havoc on every border state that touches Mexico: Texas, Arizona, California, Arizona, and New Mexico. Cartels tend to target the smaller towns around the border, making it easier to manipulate law enforcement and navigate around smaller law enforcement task forces.
It’s no surprise that New Mexico has so many issues with drugs, given its proximity to operational Mexican drug cartels. But is this really the primary culprit in this issue?
If the blame is to be placed on drug traffickers, then why aren’t the numbers just as elevated in states like Texas and Arizona? Granted, these states are no strangers to drug abuse, but even they pale in comparison to the numbers New Mexico is responsible for. The problem here is present in most cases before substance abuse becomes an issue.
Mental Health Challenges In New Mexico
Looking back on the statistics, it’s not quite as simple as placing all the blame on trafficking. If trafficking was the driving force, why is alcohol such a massive challenge as well? Alcohol numbers in New Mexico are well above the national average, sometimes even more inflated than the illicit drug statistics.
The mental health problem in Mexico is serious, and unfortunately, grossly underserved and underrepresented. Let’s take a look at one final statistic regarding New Mexico and mental health:
The suicide rate in New Mexico sits at 24.1%, compared to the 14.0% rate in the United States. Even more alarming are the reports of young people with thoughts of suicide: 22.2% in New Mexico and 18.6% in the United States.
Icarus in New Mexico offers its services as a leading NM rehab center; to help reduce these numbers with effective treatment solutions for mental health disorders.
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On the Front Lines Fighting Addiction In New Mexico
If you or someone you love is struggling with addiction, a mental health disorder, or possibly both, it’s important that you seek help immediately. These challenges don’t suddenly disappear and there’s no “outgrowing” them.
At Icarus Behavioral Health, we provide comprehensive solutions to mental health and addiction thanks to our personalized treatment plans that include dual diagnosis treatment and behavioral health options.
Don’t wait another day, recovery is possible, and it’s only a phone call away. Contact a member of our admissions team today.
