States with the worst drug problems: Alaska ranks 29th

With the stress of social distancing leading to drug use relapses or overdoses, and SAMHSA’s National Prevention Week in full swing, the personal-finance website WalletHub today released its report on the States with the Biggest Drug Problems in 2020, as well as accompanying videos, to highlight the areas that stand to be most affected.

This study compares the 50 states and the District in terms of 22 key metrics, ranging from arrest and overdose rates to opioid prescriptions and employee drug testing laws. You can find some highlights below.

States with the Biggest Drug Problems1. Missouri11. Vermont2. West Virginia12. Delaware3. Michigan13. Oregon4. District of Columbia14. Connecticut5. New Hampshire15. Massachusetts6. New Mexico16. Rhode Island7. Colorado17. Kentucky8. Arkansas18. Arizona9. Nevada19. Tennessee10. Indiana20. Montana

Key Stats:

Alabama has 98 retail opioid pain reliever prescriptions per 100 residents, leading the nation. On the other end of the spectrum, there are 25 for every 100 District of Columbia residents. West Virginia has 51.50 drug overdose deaths per 100,000 residents. That is 7.5 times more than in South Dakota, which has the fewest at 6.90 per 100,000 residents. Vermont has the highest share of teens who used illicit drugs in the past month, at 13.92 percent. That is 2.3 times higher than in Utah, which has the lowest at 6.02 percent. Vermont has the highest share of adults who used illicit drugs in the past month, at 20.82 percent. That is 2.7 times higher than in Utah, which has the lowest at 7.80 percent.