Top 10 States with the Highest Drug Use Problems

WalletHub released a study on Highest Drug Use by State to highlight the areas that stand to be most affected. Here are the top 10.

The drug epidemic is a serious ongoing problem that requires the collaboration of the government and healthcare leaders.

WalletHub released a study on Highest Drug Use by State to highlight the most-affected areas. It compares the 50 states and the District of Columbia across 20 metrics from arrest and overdose rates to opioid prescriptions and meth-lab incidents per capita.

“Healthcare executives should be concerned with monitoring the crisis and conducting research on the best ways to fight the epidemic,” says Jill Gonzalez, WalletHub analyst. “Each of these states face serious problems in regards to substance abuse.”

Here are the top 10 states with the worst drug problems:

Pennsylvania has:

  • The fourth largest overdose deaths growth

  • The fifth highest number of overdose deaths per capita

  • The ninth highest number of drug arrests on college campuses per 1,000 students

The state has the highest number of methamphetamine lab incidents, the sixth highest number of overdose deaths per capita, and the seventh highest number of opioid pain reliever prescriptions per 100 people.

Rhode Island has the largest share of adults who needed but didn't receive treatment for illicit drug use, the second largest share of teenagers who use illicit drugs, and the sixth largest share of adults who use illicit drugs.

Indiana ranks poorly in a number of subcategories:

  • It has the highest number of methamphetamine lab incidents

  • It has the sixth highest number of drug arrests on college campuses per 1,000 students

  • It has the tenth lowest number of substance abuse and behavioral disorder counselors per capita

New Mexico ranks sixth for a number of reasons:

  • It has the largest share of teenagers who tried marijuana before age 13

  • It has the third largest share of teenagers who use illicit drugs

  • It has the fifth largest share of teenagers who were offered, sold, or given an illegal drug on school property

West Virginia has even poorer rankings. The state has the highest number of overdose deaths per capita, the highest number of drug arrests on college campuses per 1,000 students, and the eighth largest number of opioid pain reliever prescriptions per 100 people.

Michigan has the seventh largest number of methamphetamine lab incidents and the tenth largest number of opioid pain reliever prescriptions per 100 people.

New Hampshire has the third largest number of overdose deaths per capita, the ninth highest share of adults who needed but didn't receive treatment for illicit drug use, and the tenth largest number of drug arrests per capita.

This state has the largest number of methamphetamine lab incidents and the fourth largest number of drug arrests per capita.

This state has the largest overdose deaths growth, but the third lowest number of substance abuse treatment facilities.

“What can be done at each state level is increasing the number of substance abuse treatment facilities, and reducing the number of opioid pain reliever prescriptions given out,” Gonzalez says. “Other measures to fight the issue include prescription drug monitoring laws, and employee drug testing laws."

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