Drug Use in America: Which States are Problem Areas?
Which state has the highest percentage of teenage drug users? Or the fewest opioid prescriptions? Answers from a new report, here.
Drug overdose death rates in the US continue to be a public health burden, especially with newer and deadlier synthetic opioids like fentanyl hitting the illicit market. According to research from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the age-adjusted overdose death rate involving fentanyl increased 279% between 2016 and 2021. Moreover, during the same period, rates of overdose deaths involving methamphetamine more than quadrupled and those involving cocaine more than doubled.
To determine where drug abuse is most pronounced, a new report from WalletHub compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across 20 key metrics, including arrest and overdose rates and opioid prescriptions. Each metric was graded on a 100-point scale, with a score of 100 representing the biggest drug issue. Find out the results in the slides below.
Most People Receiving Substance Abuse Treatment per 1000 Drug Users: Maryland
Fewest People Receiving Substance Abuse Treatment per 1000 Drug Users: Idaho
Highest % of Teenage Drug Users: Vermont
Lowest % of Teenage Drug Users: Texas
Highest % of Teens Who Were Offered, Sold, or Given an Illegal Drug on School Property: California
Lowest % of Teens Who Were Offered, Sold, or Given an Illegal Drug on School Property: North Dakota
Highest % of Adult Drug Users: Vermont
Lowest % of Adult Drug Users: Texas
Most Opioid Prescriptions per 100 People: Alabama
Fewest Opioid Prescriptions per 100 People: Hawaii
Most Drug Arrests per Capita: South Dakota
Fewest Drug Arrests per Capita: Massachusetts
Highest % of Adults with Unmet Drug-Treatment Needs: Nevada
Lowest % of Adults with Unmet Drug-Treatment Needs: Florida
Fewest Substance Abuse Treatment Facilities per 100 000 Drug Users: Nevada
