Drug Use by State: 2023’s Problem Areas

WalletHub, May 3, 2023

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. Yet despite the country’s best efforts to fight it, the problem is still prevalent. There were more than 103,500 drug overdose deaths in the 12-month period ending in November 2022. It’s crucial for the government to address this issue and prevent it from getting any worse. The government must also deal with the changing landscape of drug use, as newer drugs like fentanyl become more widespread. In fact, the DEA seized the equivalent of more than 410 million lethal doses of fentanyl in 2022.

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. 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 employee drug testing laws.

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