Provo is the third-biggest city in the state of Utah. Only 43 miles from Salt Lake City, it could be considered part of the larger metropolitan area of the state's biggest city. Provo is probably best known for being the home of Brigham Young University. BYU is the largest and most famous college owned and operated by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. It is also the main training center for young members of the church to train as missionaries before setting out for countries all over the world.
Outside of the church, Provo is a bustling city that is growing rapidly due to developments in the technology sector. Google recently chose Provo as the third city in the country to be the recipient of Google's fiber-optic network, a major honor. Provo consistently ranks as one of the best cities to live in. It is also considered a great place to raise children and has a low crime rate. Despite these positive qualities, Provo still has trouble with drug use, just like most other cities in the United States.
Police in Provo recently discovered a drug ring was being run out of a local middle school in the city. A 14-year-old boy was recruiting 11-year-olds at a local elementary school to buy drugs for him, which he then turned around and sold to other middle school students. Locals were shocked that such young children were selling drugs, but it shows how widespread drug use and drug pushing can actually be.
For example, out of all the residents of Utah, six percent use drugs on a monthly basis. In the entire United States, eight percent of people use drugs on monthly basis, so Utah is beating the national average. That still doesn't mean a drug-use rate of six percent is acceptable. Even if the number of people using drugs is lower than the national average, the number of people seriously affected by drugs is much higher.
In 2007, 546 people died in Provo due to drug use, whether from drug overdoses or other negative health effects of drug use. The national average for drug-induced deaths is 12.7 people for every 100,000 residents. In Utah, however, 20.6 people die from drug use for every 100,000 residents. The exact cause for this higher rate is not known, but it may have to do with the fact that stimulants such as meth are the most popular drug in the state.
In most states, marijuana is one of the most popular drugs, if not the most popular drug. While marijuana has many negative consequences for users, it is almost impossible to overdose on and rarely kills people. This is not true for meth, which starts damaging the body almost immediately and can kill when over-consumed.
The most effective way to prevent drug use and its negative consequences is by educating young people about the dangers of drugs before they start using them. After an area already has a drug problem, the best solution is to help individuals on a case-by-case basis to receive treatment. Call RehabHotline today at 877-420-2948 to speak to a knowledgeable substance abuse counselor and find a treatment program.