Why are there so many drug addicted losers in WA state? (Seattle: home, live)

[pikabike]

Originally Posted by James Bond 007

But the 2nd map I showed includes all drug overdoses. Here's another one showing the same thing:


source

You can see it is at least as much a rural (and thus, conservative) problem as it is an urban one. All those dark red areas in Utah, Oklahoma, southern Missouri and Appalachia hardly voted for Hillary Clinton!

Apples to oranges. One map shows ALL DEATHS by opiate overdose, and the other one shows TREATMENT (if they were being treated, they weren't dead) under PRIVATE INSURANCE only, and two years apart from what is shown in the first map. You just can't compare those two sets of stats with each other.

[Taz22]

Originally Posted by pikabike

Yes. VT was really nice in the pre-Bernie days.

The population in VT may be over half druggie, but Bernie can always retreat to one of his three homes.

[bartonizer]

Pikabike, while it's certainly worth pointing out that the two maps aren't comparing the exact same thing, that doesn't negate the point that drug use nationwide- especially as it relates to the opioid abuse- is clearly not limited to one area, region, or political persuasion (as some posters here have insinuated or outright claimed).

https://www.cdc.gov/drugoverdose/data/overdose.html

It's well known fact that the Opioid epidemic disproportionately affects rural, poor areas. On a side note, I'm not saying that YOU think this way, but I find it amusing that a lot of people refer to drug crimes/addictions/overdoses in cities as somehow worse and more sinister than drug crimes/addictions/overdoses in small-town America, where the problem is currently skyrocketing.

[pikabike]

Originally Posted by Taz22

The population in VT may be over half druggie, but Bernie can always retreat to one of his three homes.

I heard a ranting speaker on a microphone shout to the masses that "We're going to take the power away from the East Coast politicians!" This was at a Bernie rally, and the crowd roared its groupthink approval.

Highly ironic. Just as ironic is that some Trump-eters denigrate Hilary for being "city".

[pikabike]

Originally Posted by bartonizer

Pikabike, while it's certainly worth pointing out that the two maps aren't comparing the exact same thing, that doesn't negate the point that drug use nationwide- especially as it relates to the opioid abuse- is clearly not limited to one area, region, or political persuasion (as some posters here have insinuated or outright claimed).

https://www.cdc.gov/drugoverdose/data/overdose.html

It's well known fact that the Opioid epidemic disproportionately affects rural, poor areas. On a side note, I'm not saying that YOU think this way, but I find it amusing that a lot of people refer to drug crimes/addictions/overdoses in cities as somehow worse and more sinister than drug crimes/addictions/overdoses in small-town America, where the problem is currently skyrocketing.

Agree on the first point. It's not limited to any of those factors. Drugs are all over the US.

Where things differ is in attitude towards substance abuse, as well as ability to hide the habit. Someone who is wealthy has ways to better disguise the habit or treat it, at least for a while. Substance abusers who are homeless are more obvious. That doesn't necessarily mean there are more addicts in that area.

I do feel that a location's level of normalization of substance abuse affects percentage of people who become addicts. If "everybody does it" there is a larger pool of potential addicts to draw from.

[Taz22]

Originally Posted by pikabike

I heard a ranting speaker on a microphone shout to the masses that "We're going to take the power away from the East Coast politicians!" This was at a Bernie rally, and the crowd roared its groupthink approval.

Highly ironic. Just as ironic is that some Trump-eters denigrate Hilary for being "city".

Bernie is a feisty dude, but no one's life is going to drastically improve if he had gotten elected. Or any politician.

[Jay F]

Originally Posted by pikabike

Yes. VT was really nice in the pre-Bernie days.

It probably was but I would say the whole country seemed nicer and happier regardless of who their elected leaders are.

[Jay F]

As bad of a reputation as Yakima has I am pleased to see this region has a lower heroin problem than the state or national average. Meth is probably a different story. I think the large Hispanic population helps lower the drug stats here...especially the newer immigrants are not the druggie types. They are mostly hard working and family oriented.

[DutchessCottonPuff]

Originally Posted by Masterful_Man

WA state may not be the worst, apparently Vermont and our nation's capitol are even worse for drug abuse, but WA is still pretty high up there.

Any explanations for as to why?

I have lived in alot of places , yes even Amsterdam and the worst I've seen was back in Oklahoma.. You could not escape the bathtub speed ( meth, crystal- whatever), corn liquor , and Oxy - the heroin of the south . It was EVERYWHERE . No winners there either , at least of the ones who stayed .

It is everywhere.

[oregonwoodsmoke]

You may lose some of your addicts. Oregon has just legalized hard drugs, so I predict a big influx of hard drug users into Oregon. Your addicts who are not too stoned to crawl and who can steal enough to pay for their transportation might be moving a bit south.