Cochise is located in southern Arizona and has been classified by the Drug Control Policy as a high intensity for drug trafficking and drug usage. Pima and Santa Cruz counties border the country. Because of the county's location, substance misuse among teenagers has become one of the most serious challenges in the border communities, which have been found to initiate higher rates of drug use than other counties in the area. According to research, drug usage has been linked to crime, injury, and other high-risk activities. Reports say that drug use among the youth of age between 15- 38 has resulted to physical fights and even bullying in school. Further research indicates that increased level of behavioral health present in the county has led to unsafe sexual activities and unwanted pregnancies. Suicide rates are also increasing by day and this correlated with high substance use. As such, there is the county’s need for intervention and control. Drug Control council in the county appointed me and other members to look and work in the prevention and control measures appropriate for the region.
While carrying out the research, I discovered that most young people have a habit of binge drinking, meaning that most of them fail to control their drinking behaviors, and through interview and endless dialogues most admitted that they started the drinking behavior at a very young age. Additionally, most youth are used to traffic drugs which has led to high school drop outs. The highest rates of traffickers use drugs than any other person and are mostly the old teenagers and young adults. The traffickers are prone to violence and each of them has a friend that was killed in the business or committed suicide for the same. Not surprisingly, most students dialogued, admitted to be heavy substance users, in fact, the number reached to almost three-quarter of the students taking either alcohol, cigarettes, nicotine among other dangerous drugs. With such raising concerns, the county government of Cochise, and the Drug control council have collaborated to help in controlling and preventing substance use among the youth.
Population on the local communities
Crossing the last census conducted in 2012, the county has a population of 12, 427, which has increased in the last decade. The county is one of the most populated in Arizona. Most inhabitants living there are the whites who occupy at least half of the population. The other groups, which entails the Hispanics takes a 30% while the Black take the rest 3%. Almost 17.5% households live in abject poverty, contributing to drug usage among youths. Research carried out in the region depicts Alcohol consumptions and substance used to be at 35%, where 15-25 years comprises of 13% of the said number. Additionally, a study carried out in 2014 depicted a 73% of students that use alcohol and other substance use
A greater gap in percentage exists when contrasting substance use in Cochise County, which is at 35%, to those for all overall state of Arizona which is at 31%. The high rate of substance use is higher in the border households are higher that those that live in the state. The overdose of substance among the youth has caused more than 50 deaths in the county, and more youths are engaging in more risky behaviors such as violence and drunk driving, which may cause increased death among the youths. Almost 6% youth use opioid; a substance used as anti-depressant, research indicated an increase for opioid addiction among the young people. Marijuana use has increased to 27%, the drug is used that any other drugs, in the county.
Health risks and risk behaviors in the population
Reasons why the people of this population are considered vulnerable
The research has discovered the need to target the youth in Cochise, as it is one of the counties comprising the highest drug use in Arizona. Additionally, the county is known to be one of the oldest in substance use, due to its location to being in the border where drug trafficking business is mostly carried out. The county government is in the verges of confiscating almost 1000 pounds of drugs at the border, most of which is transported and sold to and by the youths. The youth are also considered vulnerable due to their adverse living condition. Most families live below the poverty and most families lack employment, thus many youths living in this environment opt to sell and use drugs to earn a living and also to escape the hardships back at home. Most youngsters also drop from school due to drug usage as well. Still, the adolescents are also vulnerable as they are second highest in harm and substance use. All these points to the needs of prevention and control efforts geared towards building a better future in Cochise.
Identifying behaviors that lead to the health risk
Cases of youth kidnapping due to drugs depts, have increased through the years. As such, authorities have received more than 500 kidnapped youth, and the numbers are feared to be more as many people fear reporting such matters due to threats. Selling drugs is a risky behavior which could cause depression to the victims and suicide for fear of retribution from the drug Lords and other smugglers as well. Alcohol and substance use has led to reckless driving among the users and many accidents have been reported in the recent years. Drug and substance use also leads risky sexual behaviors among the youths; they are also at risk of being physically and sexually assaulted by their peers and also by their bosses. Drug use leads to social problems among the youths.
Health risks that leads
Unwanted and unprotected sexual behaviors have been linked to concerns such as unplanned pregnancies, which cause depression to the youths as they lack adequate help to raise their children. Most users contract sexually diseases such as HIV/ AIDS, syphilis among others. In fact, research carried out in the recent years depicts that most youths in Cochise have contracted HIV/AIDS. Most end up aborting, which can cause other health problems and death is not well carried out. Most youth kidnapped by their debtors end up risking the lives of their household and most slip into depression and also suicide. Some youths end up being killed by drugs smugglers due to anger. Drugs and substance causes reckless driving which may lead to fatal accidents, which may leads to fatal accidents and even death. Drugs and substance use leads to social problems as most of the youth are absent minded. They also fail associating with their mates for fear of being rejected, which may lead to depression or worse suicide.
References
Sweeney, E. R. (2010). From Cochise to Geronimo: The Chiricahua Apaches, 1874-1886. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press.
Arizona Criminal Justice Commission., & Edward Byrne Memorial State and Local Law Enforcement Assistance Formula Grant Program (Ariz.). (1995). Strategy, Arizona drug, gang and violent crime control. Phoenix, Ariz: Arizona Criminal Justice Commission.
