Arizona Profile 1997

Drug Strategies

Arizona Profile

Population. Rapid population growth and changing demographics have increased demands on Arizona's public resources, including those devoted to combating substance abuse. These trends have intensified the challenges facing a state with an already diverse population.

Arizona's population, which stood at 4.2 million in 1995, has grown 15 percent since 1990, maintaining the third-fastest growth rate in the country. As in other expanding Southwest border states, nearly a quarter of Arizona's urban residents migrated from other states, Mexico and Central America during the last five years-almost double the average U.S. mobility rate. Illegal immigration along the Arizona-Mexico border is up 34 percent since 1995, and communities bordering southern California are seeing dramatic population growth as well. High migration out of the state has contributed to transience.

In addition to the sheer number of newcomers, some localities have experienced disproportionate growth in certain age groups. In Maricopa County, for example, the number of children and elderly residents jumped 40 percent between 1985 and 1995.

Age differences comprise just one dimension of Arizona's diversity. Arizona residents represent a wide range of racial and ethnic groups and economic backgrounds. Moreover, the state's rural and border regions differ from one another and from its metropolitan areas. Hispanics, for example, account for as many as 78 percent of the population in some counties and as few as 4 percent of residents in others. Similar variations apply to the distribution of Native American residents.

Nearly a quarter of northern Arizona residents live below the poverty line, as do one-quarter of blacks and Hispanics. Over half of the Native Americans on reservations also live below the poverty line.

Nearly 85 percent of residents live in metropolitan areas. Phoenix, the seventh-largest city in the nation, is home to 60 percent of Arizona's population. Outside the densely populated cities, Arizona has vast expanses of rural and undeveloped territory.

Fifty-two percent of Arizona land is devoted to state parks, and another 28 percent is composed of Native American reservations.

Economy. Fueled by a variety of industries-including services, manufacturing, mining and agriculture-Arizona's economy consistently ranks among the top five in gross domestic product growth, personal income growth and other growth indicators. The "Grand Canyon State," one of the nation's most popular tourist and retirement destinations, has also enticed countless businesses to relocate for its warm climate and low cost of living.

State budget allocations to localities are based primarily on population density. Thus, rural and border communities generally have very limited funds, but deliver substance abuse prevention and treatment services over broad geographic areas. In response, rural communities must efficiently stretch funds and coordinate service delivery. In contrast, urban centers have developed more diverse and specialized services to respond to a larger volume and variety of treatment cases.

Native American Tribes. There are 21 distinct Native American tribes in Arizona, and tribes have unique experiences with substance abuse. School and health programs on reservations are the responsibility of individual tribes. Criminal infractions on reservations are handled by tribal courts, police, prosecutors and jails, which operate independent of state agencies.

While Native American groups promote shared cultural values and mutual respect among tribes, very little data exists that bridges tribal distinctions to unify and strengthen responses to substance abuse. Efforts are now underway to coordinate data gathering on substance abuse indicators-particularly prevalence of use. At present, data on the Native American experience with alcohol, tobacco and illicit drugs are scarce.

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