WHY CHOOSE OUR REHAB FACILITY NEAR BOCA RATON, FL

Addiction in Florida

BOCA RATON ADDICTION STATISTICS

Boca Raton, located in southern Palm Beach County, is home to just under 100,000 permanent residents. Additionally, 200,000 people live outside the city’s municipal boundaries (for example, west Boca Raton). Boca Raton sits beside the Atlantic Ocean along Interstate 95 and the famous US Route-1, approximately 45 minutes north of the Miami area. Compared to other towns in the region, Boca Raton is not an old city. Up until the early 1920s, Boca Raton was a farming community with few residents. In the last 100 years, the town has grown exponentially. The city encompasses approximately 32 square miles in the greater Miami Metropolitan area, which houses over six million people in 2018. Although further removed from Miami than some other cities in the metropolitan region, Boca Raton is less than one hour’s drive from the cities beaches, clubs, and tourist hot spots. While beneficial in some ways, its proximity to larger cities such as Miami and even Fort Lauderdale can include challenges that come with the metropolitan environment.

According to the 2019 census, the median income for Boca Raton was approximately $83,000. This represented a growth of over 2.7% between 2018 and 2019. High-end tourism contributes significantly to the cities economy, as does the presence of major corporations, including the headquarter offices for Office Depot and ADT Security Services. Additionally, Boca Raton Regional Hospital and Florida Atlantic University are two of the largest employers in the area. Despite growing income rates in the area, the poverty rate remains high. The most recent statistics show the poverty rate in the area at 9%. Although lower than the national average of 13%, this data represents a troubling increase in poverty of nearly 10% in one year’s time. Growing poverty represents a significant challenge in an area where the median property values sit at $458,000 (and rising).

Florida, like many densely populated states, has a problem with drugs and drug overdose. The Boca Raton area is no exception to this unfortunate circumstance. Boca Raton is close to the cruise ports and private docking ports of Fort Lauderdale and Miami. Also, its proximity to the city of Miami exposes the area to the drug-related challenges experienced within the city limits. Additionally, the Boca Raton area itself (including the city and the suburbs) has a high population of full-time residents and wealthy tourists. Combined, these factors make Boca Raton a prime target for drug traffickers and illegal drug sales and use.

Similar to many states with large populations, Florida releases addiction-related data on a county basis. Considering the size of Palm Beach Couty, it can be challenging to determine how the statistics are applied to Boca Raton specifically; however, county-wide data shows the area struggles with issues related to opioids, alcohol, and other substances. Between 2009 and 2018, the rate of death related to cocaine increased from 126 in 2009 to 417 in 2017 before declining slightly in 2018 to 338. The largest demographic to struggle with cocaine-related overdose and death are thirty-five to fifty year old’s. According to County Medical Examiner reports, in Palm Beach County, these age groups accounted for nearly 32% of deaths. Polysubstance abuse (using two or more substances together) is also a problem in Palm Beach County and beyond. The drugs most commonly linked to cocaine are ethanol, morphine, fentanyl, and alprazolam (Xanax). In 2018, over more than 54% of deaths were related to cocaine and fentanyl use (combined).