Odessa City Council meeting discusses the war on drugs the city is facing

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Dr. Alejandra Garcia with the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center shared her thoughts on the war on drugs at Odessa City Council meeting this week. Concerns include cartels and the dangerous effects illegal drugs may be causing in young people.

During the Odessa City Council meeting, the issue of the war on drugs was discussed. Dr. Alejandra Garcia, an associate professor for the Department of Internal Medicine at Texas Tech University, spoke about the challenges the city is facing. She pointed out that Odessa's geographical location may contribute to its drug problems. The easy access and transportation make it a convenient route for cartels.

Dr. Garcia also raised concerns about the dangerous effects of illegal drugs on young people. She mentioned that young men and women with no medical history are experiencing an increase in heart attacks. Council member Denise Swanner suggested that these two issues could be correlated.


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According to crimegrade.org, Odessa has a slightly higher drug-related crime rate than the average U.S. city. The website ranks Odessa in the 37th percentile, with 63% of cities being safer and 37% being more dangerous than Odessa. A drug-related crime map shows that the south and east areas of the city have more danger, while residential areas are safer. Non-residential areas, such as retail or business areas, have slightly higher levels of danger due to the higher population volumes and visitors at a given time.

Dr. Alejandra Garcia Fernandez is an associate professor at the Texas Tech University Health Science Center. She is a graduate of La Universidad del Zulia in Venezuela and completed her fellowship in Critical Care Medicine at Geisinger Medical Center in Pennsylvania. Currently, she works at the Permian Basin campus for Texas Tech University.

The discussion on the war on drugs at the Odessa City Council meeting highlights the challenges the city is facing. The geographical location of Odessa makes it a convenient route for cartels, leading to increased drug-related crime. Additionally, the dangerous effects of illegal drugs on young people, including an increase in heart attacks, are a cause for concern. Efforts to address these issues will be crucial in combating the war on drugs in Odessa.