Drug Use by State: 2018’s Problem Areas

Wallet Hub, May 14, 2018

Drug abuse has a long and storied history in the United States, and we’ve been “at war” with it since 1971 under the Nixon administration. But no matter who is in office, the federal drug budget continues to increase. It’s moved from $23.8 billion in 2013 to almost $27.5 billion in 2017.

The current administration seems to be taking a hardline approach to drug use. President Donald Trump and Attorney General Jeff Sessions have advocated for strict sentences for drug-related offenses, even as far as the death penalty in some cases.

Given the uncertain future and lack of significant progress to date, it’s fair to wonder where drug abuse is most pronounced and which areas are most at risk in the current political climate. This report attempts to answer those questions by comparing the 50 states and the District of Columbia across 20 key metrics, ranging from arrest and overdose rates to opioid prescriptions and meth-lab incidents per capita….

read … Full Report

Hawaii

• 46 -- Overall Rank (1=’Biggest Problem’)
• 33.62 --Total Score
• 41 -- ‘Drug Use & Addiction’ Rank
• 40 -- ‘Law Enforcement’ Rank
• 38 -- ‘Drug Health Issues & Rehab’ Rank
• 50 – Opioid Prescriptions per 100 people
• 50 – Substance Abuse Facilities per 100,000 drug users