Texas Drug and Alcohol Addiction Problems, Laws and Substance Abuse
Issues, Treatment and Rehabilitation
The large area of Texas, vast array of highways, a long coastline, two international
airports and a long border with Mexico has been ideal for the drug traffickers.
Having a close border with Mexico has made Texas very vulnerable to drug trafficking.
Numerous drug traffickers operate in the Texas panhandle including the Hispanic,
Dominicans, Columbians and blacks. Drugs brought into the state are also distributed
all over the nation. Despite the intense policing and security, drug trafficking
remains a major problem for the state of Texas
Texas has been infiltrated with drug traffickers, mainly from the south of
the border. In the past the drug trade was solely controlled by the Mexicans,
but today the Columbians, Asians, Vietnamese and even the Chinese are fighting
for their fair share of drug money. All types of illicit drugs are available
and include methamphetaime, marijuana, cocaine and heroin.
Despite the increase in law enforcement and surveillance techniques, drug
smuggling is at an all time high in Texas. The drug trade has also been associated
with people smuggling across the border. The NAFTA treaty established more than
a decade ago, has increased the daily cross border traffic and associated with
it has been an increase in drug smuggling. Rural, desert-like areas in New Mexico
and West Texas have provided a great opportunity for drug smugglers. The majority
of drug smuggling is done at the El Paso/Juarez Corridor. Seizures indicate
that large amounts of all illicit drugs are confiscated on a daily basis.
Drug traffickers also obtain warehouses in El Paso to hide their drugs and
money and recruit “mules” from the area to transport the narcotics
to various destinations throughout the U.S. Additional threats to the region
are the shipments of controlled substances via commercial vehicles, aircrafts,
campers and by rail. EL Paso is also considered a hub for significant amounts
of drug proceeds being laundered through small businesses.
Cocaine/Crack
Addiction
Cocaine is readily available throughout Texas. Texas serves as a major hub
for transshipment of cocaine to other states such as Oklahoma, Louisiana, Arkansas
and Mississippi. The narcotics are either shipped directly to Texas or transshipped
through Mexico. The drug traffickers favor the exploitation of the commercial
trucking industry to smuggle large quantities of cocaine. Smaller loads are
routinely seized from privately owned vehicles or from couriers. The El Paso/Juarez
corridor serves as a transshipment point for cocaine to various locations in
the U.S.
The majority of powder cocaine is converted to crack cocaine and sold on the
street as such. The crack cocaine trade is very lucrative and this has been
associated with numerous gangs who want to control the trade. Associated with
the gangs has been violence, crime, thefts and prostitution. Recent seizures
of crack cocaine reveal that the drug is widely available at school levels and
all ethnic groups are involved in its abuse. Local law enforcement authorities
consistently rank cocaine and crack cocaine distribution and use as their number
one drug problem.
Heroin
Addiction
The majority of heroin available in Texas is from Mexico. Texas remains a
major transshipment hub for heroin transfer into the rest of America. Despite
the low quality of heroin, recent seizures indicate that trafficking of this
drug continues unabated. With the recent wave of Asian migration, the SE variety
of heroin is now increasingly trafficked in Texas.
The heroin is typically smuggled in secret compartments in private vehicles
and concealed on persons. The heroin is usually carried across the border by
the illegal migrants. Most hospitals indicate that heroin related deaths and
complications are on the increase in the inner cities.
Methamphetamine
Addiction
Methamphetamine continues to be the most abused drug in Texas. The majority
of methamphetamine is smuggled in from Mexico. The recent ban on the availability
of precursor chemicals like ephedrine has all but shut down the clandestine
laboratories. Despite the lack of proper chemicals, many drug traffickers use
dangerous chemicals like ammonia, red phosphorus, lithium batteries and muriatic
acid to manufacture methamphetamine. The locally made methamphetamine is not
only dangerous to health but also is known to produce toxic chemicals and generate
a fire hazard. The large rural area has allowed the drug traffickers to manufacture
methamphetamine in very unsophisticated laboratories.
Methamphetamine also continues to be smuggled in from Florida, California
and Arizona. The major route of smuggling is via automobiles, vans and trucks,
all of which contain secrete compartments to hide the drugs. The methamphetamine
drug trade has also been associated with gangs and this has resulted in an increase
in violence, turf wars, prostitution, inner city poverty and crime.
Marijuana Addiction
Marijuana is widely available throughout the state of Texas. The bulk of the
marijuana is smuggled in from Mexico. The drug smugglers utilize private cars,
vans, trucks and campers to bring the marijuana into the State. The bulk of
the smuggled marijuana is brought in hidden compartments and once into the state,
smaller packages are made and distributed across the state. The large Hispanic
population in the State has enabled the drug traffickers to use them as mules.
Recently large amounts of marijuana have been smuggled into the state via secret
tunnels which cross from Mexico into Texas. Because of the increased vigilance
by law enforcement, home grown marijuana is only made for individual supplies
and does not dominate the drug market.
Club
Drugs
Club drugs are easily available in most of Texas. MDMA remains the most abused
drug. The drug is commonly abused by college students and recent seizures indicate
that younger blacks and Asians have become a new generation of users. The majority
of club drugs are smuggled in from Mexico. The club drug scene is controlled
by Asians and Hispanic traffickers. Almost every major city in Texas has been
affected by the increased epidemic. Recent data indicate that a significant
proportion of club drugs come in from Europe and are trafficked by Israelis
and Russians.
Other dangerous club drugs readily available include Rohypnol, Ketamine, GHB,
LSD, and PCP. Because of the close proximity to the Mexican borders, numerous
clubs drugs are easily available from Mexican pharmacies, where prescriptions
are not required.
Prescription
Drugs
The abuse of pharmaceutical drugs continues to rise at an exponential rate.
The most commonly abused pharmaceutical drugs include oxycontin, hydrocodone
and Xanax. These drugs are primarily obtained via prescription forgeries, “doctor
shopping”, pharmacy break INS and via the internet. Some of the pharmaceutical
drugs are brought into Texas from Mexico and Southwestern Border cities. Numerous
pain management clinics have opened in every major city in the State and pose
an enormous threat to the communities. These pain management clinics do injustice
to patients by continually prescribing narcotics to addicts.
Compounding this issue, is the state's severe shortage of qualified medical
personnel which forces state authorities to grant prescriptive authority to
practitioners not licensed in other states.
Drug Proceeds
Associated with drug trafficking is money laundering. Cash-intensive businesses,
such as restaurants, bars and nightclubs, shipping industry, casinos and tourism
have all at some time been exposed to “drug” money. Texas is a major
financial center and with its numerous banks has often been used to transfer
drug money back home. The drug proceeds have been difficult to trace but recent
government laws have allowed for strict monitoring of all bank transection.
Currency seizures indicate most border banks play a major role in the transfer
of currency across into Mexico. However recent laws do allow for currency seizures
if the money is suspected to be from drug trafficking.
Substance
Abuse Prevention and Treatment
To counteract the drug problem DEA Mobile Enforcement Teams have been established
in response to the overwhelming problem of drug-related violent crime in towns
and cities across the nation. In addition, DEA Regional Enforcement Teams have
been developed to augment existing DEA division resources by targeting drug
organizations operating in the United States where there is a lack of sufficient
local drug law enforcement
Drug Laws
Recently the Texas legislature passed a significant reform providing for treatment
instead of incarceration for first-time drug offenders. This remarkable legislation
is designed to reduce its highly over-populated prison system. Texas has long
been in the national spotlight for obvious racial disparities and abuses in
the criminal justice system. With one of the largest prison populations in the
country, drug reforms for the non violent felon are urgently needed.
Recent convictions of minorities for non violent drug offenses have led the
Texas legislature to pass reforms in response to the Tulia controversy, and
the U.S. Justice Department has launched a federal civil rights investigation.
Texas Drug and Alcohol Treatment and Rehabilitation Categories
