Nev.’s death rate from meth, other stimulants highest in nation
By Jessie Bekker, Las Vegas Review-Journal
Nevada’s amphetamine death rate is highest in the nation and will soon eclipse the state’s prescription opioid death rate if current trends continue, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The death rate in Nevada attributed to “psychostimulants” — a class of drugs that includes methamphetamine, ecstasy and ADHD prescription drugs like Adderall and Ritalin — hit 7.5 per 100,00 in 2016, up nearly 32 percent from 2015. Prescription opioid deaths fell about 9 percent in the same time period, from 9.8 per 100,000 to 8.9 per 100,000, the CDC said.
The CDC report studied data from 31 states and Washington, D.C.
Our community should be very concerned about this information. We WILL follow this trend here in Lake Tahoe unless we work together to make a difference. Our youth need regular drug prevention education, our parents and community at large need to not turn a blind eye. We all need to get more educated and be involved and this needs to stay at the forefront for the city and county leaders as well. Think it doesn’t affect you? Wrong. At the very least it effects how our town is perceived, if it’s a safe and inviting place for tourists, and it effects the value of your homes. Each and every individual who is homeless, who is mentally ill, and who is using drugs, is a part of our lives here. What are you doing to help better these situations?