CROWN POINT, IN – A recent report by WalletHub has shed light on the drug problem in the United States by comparing 50 states and the District of Columbia across 20 key metrics.
The report aimed to identify the areas most at risk of drug abuse by evaluating their overall drug use and addiction, law enforcement, and drug health issues and rehab. The metrics include arrest and overdose rates, opioid prescriptions, and employee drug testing laws.
According to the report, Indiana ranked 12th, Michigan 10th, Illinois 28th, Ohio 30th, Wisconsin 31st, and Iowa 45th in drug use. Meanwhile, New Mexico, West Virginia, the District of Columbia, Louisiana, and Colorado were the top five states with the highest drug use. California ranked 39th.
It’s worth noting that the report doesn’t include all types of drugs, such as prescription drug abuse, methamphetamine, and cocaine. However, the report provides a detailed insight into the states’ drug problem by evaluating key metrics with a score of 100 representing the most significant drug problem.
The report by WalletHub is particularly timely, as the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) seized the equivalent of more than 410 million lethal doses of fentanyl in 2022, indicating a shift in the drug landscape. Despite the government’s efforts to combat drug abuse, there were still more than 103,500 drug overdose deaths in the 12-month period ending in November 2022.
The data used in WalletHub’s report were collected from various sources, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).
