Last Updated: November 10, 2022

There are drug problems in Ohio, specifically when it comes to opioid use. However, how do drug problems connect to human trafficking? More importantly, what can be done about the two problems?

The Problems of Human and Drug Trafficking

According to the Supreme Court of Ohio, drug trafficking and human trafficking are two of the most lucrative illegal businesses in Ohio.

Human trafficking involves illegally transporting people from place to place, often for forced labor and sexual exploitation. People may be moved within a country, or they could come from another country and be tricked into something that they think is legitimate employment when it is, in fact, human trafficking. Sometimes, traffickers take advantage of natural disasters to offer people homes and food, but they trick people into a coercive working situation. Those who are trafficked have no papers or have their important papers stolen, so they feel like they are unable to leave or find help.

Drug trafficking involves the movement of illegal drugs from place to place. Drug and human trafficking can be connected, as those who are coerced into human trafficking may have a history of substance use. Traffickers may use drugs to bait people so that they can be captured and trafficked. If a person taken for human trafficking does not have an addition, traffickers can force those individuals to misuse substances and then become dependent on those substances.

Drug traffickers often smuggle humans as another source of income, and those people who are trafficked may be forced to carry drugs across borders.

Why It Is Hard to Stop Human Trafficking

The participation of trafficking victims is essential in getting a successful prosecution that would help stop human trafficking. However, people may have a hard time breaking free of human trafficking because they feel that they have access to drugs, a home and food at the place where they are staying, and they do not see the possibility of a better life.

Trafficking is tough to overcome because some victims are too afraid to get help, while others do not know where to go. Once people have been found or have escaped, they may be too afraid to testify. Some people end up back where they began because they do not have the support systems they need to recover from a substance use disorder and cannot find a home or employment so that they can support themselves.

Looking for Ways to Recover

Stopping drug trafficking and human trafficking are two of the largest challenges facing Ohio. Individuals can help stop the two by remaining vigilant about their circumstances and those of their friends and family members, looking for signs that a person cannot talk independently or seems to be coerced.

If you have a substance use disorder, you can also protect yourself by getting addiction treatment. If you can address your substance misuse in a supportive treatment environment, you do not need to worry about talking with people who are involved in the drug trade or trading services for drugs. Instead, you will feel stronger and more able to rely on your ongoing support systems rather than turning to strangers who are not reliable and could be dangerous.

When you go to an addiction treatment center, you can receive medical care to help you with withdrawal and you can also work with counselors to address co-occurring disorders and create ongoing strategies for recovery and wellness.

Are you looking for a future free of substance misuse? Contact The Recovery Village Columbus. At our recovery center, you will experience programs that will help you meet your goal of a substance-free future.