June 18, 2015 by Julian Sutter 

sageclinic.org

1. 8 of the 10 leading causes of death in NM are linked to the abuse of alcohol, tobacco, or other drugs.

2. New Mexico has the second highest drug overdose  mortality rate in the United States, with 23.8 per 100,000 people  suffering drug overdose fatalities.

3. NM has the highest alcohol-related death rate since 1997.

4. Over the past 30 years, NM has consistently had one of the highest alcohol-related death rates in the U.S.

5. Negative consequences of alcohol use in NM other  than death include domestic violence, crime, poverty, unemployment,  chronic liver disease, car accidents, other injuries, mental illness,  and a host of other medical issues.

6. The economic cost of alcohol abuse in NM (in 2006) was more than $2.5 billion. This translates to $1,250 per person.

7. Death rates related to alcohol increase with age.

8. Alcohol-related and drug-related death rates are significantly higher for males than females.

9. American Indians have the highest alcohol-related death rates among all ethnicities.

10. Counties with the most alcohol and drug-related  deaths between 2007-2011: Bernalillo, Rio Arriba, San Juan, Santa Fe,  Dona Ana, and McKinley.

11. The rate of alcohol-related injury deaths in N.M. is almost double the national rate.

12. Rates of death related to alcohol-attributable  poisoning exceeded those of alcohol-related motor vehicle accidents and  are considered the leading cause of alcohol-related injury deaths  between the years of 2007 and 2011.

13. The highest drug-induced death rate was found among Hispanic males, followed by White males.

14. Unintentional drug overdoses make up more than 80% of drug-induced deaths.

15. The most common drugs involved in unintentional overdose deaths between 2007-2011 were:

• prescription opioids (methadone, oxycodone, morphine) 50%
• heroin (33%)
• tranquilizers/muscle relaxers (27%)
• cocaine (25%)
• and antidepressants (16%)

16. In 2007-2008, New Mexico ranked first among all states for illicit drug dependence among persons age 12 and older.

17. 471 persons died because of alcohol or drugs in  New Mexico in 2007. This is compared to the number of persons in New  Mexico who died from motor vehicle accidents (379) and firearms (295) in  the same year. New Mexico drug-induced deaths (23.9 per 100,000  population) exceeded the national rate (12.7 per 100,000).