Drugs have reached coast to coast in the U.S. for decades. This is a huge issue that’s slowly grown out of control as drugs have become more sophisticated and more addictive.

With the introduction of prescription narcotics, the problem really took off. Drug addiction has reached epidemic proportions, and it’s started to affect almost all of us in some way.

Most of us have a family member that has experienced addiction firsthand. This kind of closeness has created a definite need in the U.S. for newer and better treatment options. Iowa has dealt with its fair share of addiction-related problems, and because of this, entire communities are finding ways to fight back against a disease that never seems to stop growing.

Iowa is in the very center of the Midwest, an area that’s struggled with the production of methamphetamines and a widespread trade in opioids. These types of synthetic drugs have led to an overdose rate that’s topped any other accidental type of death in the country.

Over the last few years, we’ve lost over 60,000 people to overdoses. Very few of these were intentional, and this is a testimony to just how bad the drug problem has gotten in areas like Iowa.

 

Looking at Current Events

Iowa has been in the news quite a bit lately due to issues with drug trafficking and use. Davenport, Iowa has seen at least 3 arrests so far in August due to a statewide crackdown on the drug trade. Not only have they recovered methamphetamines, they’ve also recovered illegal weapons. This shows just how dangerous the drug trade in Iowa has actually become.

It also shows just how proactive authorities in the area have become about fighting back against the spread of addiction across the state. They’re starting to understand just how dangerous this is for people at every level of the community and are becoming more proactive with their actions. This has also prompted a new interest in different types of treatment facilities, facilities that are becoming more accessible to everyone and more insurance friendly as addiction rates continue to rise.

Many of the most recent arrests in the state have involved prescription medications—this includes both stimulants and opioids. Because of a statewide prescription monitoring program, many physicians have been able to cut back on doctor shopping and other illegal activities. Unfortunately, many prescription drugs are still being prescribed to criminals or stolen and sold on the streets.

 

The Evolution of Iowa’s Addiction

The problem in Iowa started relatively small, with the introduction of marijuana and a trickle of prescription medications. As methamphetamine grew in popularity, more and more people in the state began producing it and selling it.

With it being wildly addictive, meth started to take over many communities in Iowa. People started seeing entire families involved in the manufacturing, and this led to a huge number of arrests and exposed a serious problem within the state.

As larger numbers of prescription painkillers became available in the 90s, the problem started taking on a whole new dimension. By 2006, many people across the Midwest were legally addicted to narcotics. This was because of a letter issued by Dr. Hershel Jick and his assistant that was published using incorrect wording and citations in the 1980s, stating that narcotics weren’t nearly as addictive as they turned out to be.

This letter provided the selling point for the overprescribing of narcotics and was what doctors referenced for years prior to the addiction epidemic. By the time the truth was discovered, many people had become addicted to pain management regimens.

When the prescription medication started to dry up, many people turn to illegal narcotics as a way to supplement their addiction. This led to an entire influx of heroin and other illicit drugs to the state. There weren’t enough Iowa drug rehabs to compensate for the number of people that are struggling with the problem.

New research has helped to define addiction as a definite disease and proven some organic changes in an addicted person’s brain. People that became addicted through the use of prescriptions weren’t the criminal element that so many of us associate with drug use. They weren’t street people, drug fiends, or gangsters: they were mothers, fathers, children, schoolteachers, doctors, and people from every other walk of life.

This diversity really opened a lot of people’s eyes to what addiction is and what it means for our nation.

 

The Worst Drugs in Iowa

The drug problem in Iowa includes a mix between meth, opioids, and a huge number of different prescription drugs that make their way into the state via surrounding areas. There’s also still quite a bit of methamphetamine manufactured within the state and shipped out. While there’s still money to be made in the drug trade, people will continue to do it.

This really proves that the only way to fight drug addiction is at its source. Not the drug dealers or the people that manufacture the substances, but in the brain of the addict themselves.

We need to better understand why people use drugs and take a look at the way that the brain of a drug addicted person reacts differently than that of someone who can casually use drugs or take prescriptions without becoming addicted.

In truth, there’s a very definite difference between the two. Very few people understand this, which has led to the stigma of drug addiction. So many people believe that it’s a choice to perpetuate that myth to try and simplify the disease. Drug addiction is actually extremely complicated and requires a pretty serious treatment approach.

 

How is Iowa Fighting Back?

Iowa has worked hard to improve the way that they approach and view addiction. This includes updated treatment facilities and a wider acceptance of medication-assisted treatment. This allows people coming off of heroin to use drugs like methadone to help them stay away from illicit substances. This is widely successful in many areas and it helps many addicts to finally kick their habits.

Unfortunately, this is another treatment approach that is also highly criticized. Many people believe that addicts are trading one drug for another and accuse them of using a crutch. This, again, shows the type of stigma that addicts are forced to live within every state.

If you’re willing to seek treatment and make the necessary changes, then the methods you use don’t matter as long as their truly successful in helping you to live a life free of illegal substances.