A new report finds adults in Washington, D.C. abuse alcohol and drugs more than anywhere else in the U.S., causing Grumpy Editor to wonder if some of that activity may influence goings on with some government workers, leading to wordy legislation out of Congress, often difficult to comprehend, along with long-running fuzziness on expenditures, budget and --- as in the news lately --- debt.
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration finds 11.3 percent of people 12 and older in the District of Columbia abused or were dependent on alcohol or drugs in the past year, well above the national average of 8.9 percent, reports Emily Babay in the Washington Examiner.
“Drug and alcohol problems have long been a problem in all corners of the nation's capital, from drug deals on street corners to college binge drinking to the White House,” adds Babay.
Politicians, lobbyists and others regularly attend functions where "work is socializing," according to Babette Wise, director of the alcohol and drug abuse program at Georgetown University Hospital.
Other findings:
+ D.C. ranks among top 10 states where residents most frequently reported smoking marijuana within the past month.
+ District adults are among top cocaine users in the country --- 3.78 percent say they used the drug over a one-year period.
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