States with the biggest drug problems

WalletHub - With National Prevention Week around the corner and the U.S. having spent over a trillion dollars on the “war on drugs” since the 1970s, the personal-finance company WalletHub today released its report on the States with the Biggest Drug Problems, to highlight the areas that stand to be most affected by drug addictions.

This study compares the 50 states and the District of Columbia in terms of 20 key metrics, ranging from arrest and overdose rates to opioid prescription use and employee drug testing laws. You can find some highlights below.
 

States with the Biggest Drug Problems
1. New Mexico		11. Wyoming
2. Arkansas		12. Maine
3. Alaska		13. Montana
4. Nevada		14. Louisiana
5. Missouri		15. Vermont
6. West Virginia		16. Washington
7. Colorado		17. Michigan
8. District of Columbia		18. Oregon
9. Oklahoma		19. South Carolina
10. Mississippi		20. Alabama

 
Key Stats

• Arkansas has the highest retail opioid pain reliever prescriptions per 100 residents, leading the nation. On the other end of the spectrum, Hawaii has the lowest.
   
• West Virginia has the most drug overdose deaths per 100,000 residents, which is six times more than in Nebraska, the state with the fewest.
   
• New Mexico has the highest share of teens who used illicit drugs in the past month, which is 2.5 times higher than in Utah, the state with the lowest. 
   
• Vermont has the highest share of adults who used illicit drugs in the past month, which is 2.4 times higher than in Utah, the state with the lowest.

To view the full report and learn about drug abuse in your state