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America's addiction crisis in YOUR state - depressing chart reveals which areas are most impacted
An enlightening new report has revealed the states that have been hit the hardest by America's drug addiction epidemic.
About 100,000 Americans are now dying from drug overdoses every year, official data suggests. Most of these fatalities result from ingesting deadly fentanyl, which can be lethal in very small doses.
But researchers at an online pharmacy have analyzed official figures to establish which regions of the country are most affected.
West Virginia was top of the list, with 79 drug induced deaths per 100,000 people. The researchers suggested this was likely because of high rates of opioid prescriptions.
Intriguingly, the region with the second highest number of drug deaths was nation's political hub, Washington DC, with some 70 drug deaths per 100,000 — also said to be the result of potent painkiller prescriptions.
Drug overdose deaths are also a leading cause of substance use disorder fatalities in the US
Hunter Biden, President Joe Biden's son, accompanied by his mother, first lady Jill Biden and his wife, Melissa Cohen Biden, walks out of federal court after hearing the verdict, Tuesday, June 11, 2024, in Wilmington, Del
Louisiana was at the bottom of the five most-affected states, with 53.3 deaths per 100,000 — 33 percent fewer than West Virginia's.
The report, by online pharmacy nowpatient, found half of the top ten states were in the South of the country and four were in the North East or Midwest.
The analysis did not reveal the states with the least drug-related fatalities, although previous research suggests South Dakota, Wyoming and Montana record the lowest number of overdose deaths in the nation.
Overdose fatalities began to spike in America around 2015 and 2016, when fentanyl first entered the illicit drug supply.
It is known to trigger a more intense high than other opioids — 50 to 100 times stronger than heroin. But doses of as little as two milligrams can be fatal.
The US addiction crisis began in the 1990s, when doctors began prescribing high doses of powerful painkillers for many ailments like post surgery pain or injuries, believing the risk of addiction was low.
But hundreds of thousands of patients became addicted, turning to the black market when prescriptions ran out.
The above graph shows overdose deaths across the US. The dots represent the predicted number while the black line represents the actual number
The above map shows how overdose deaths have shifted by state over the latest year. Although rates have fallen in many areas, they remain double that in 2015
Surveys suggest that nearly two thirds of Americans now have a family member who is hooked on drugs or alcohol, while nearly one in ten have lost a family member or relative to an overdose.
The latest data shows annual overdose deaths are roughly 105,000, 43 percent higher than the 73,000 per year recorded in January 2020.
The new report also analyzed 2022 data on death rates linked to alcohol and cigarettes.
Alcohol-related deaths can be linked to long-term damage to organs, such as the liver, or injuries under the influence - such as from car accidents
Smoking is still the leading cause of substance use disorder deaths in the US, with one in ten Americans current smokers according to estimates
New Mexico had the highest rate, with 43.8 alcohol-related deaths per 100,000 people.
Alaska had the second highest, 39 per 100,000, while Wyoming had the third-highest, 35.4 per 100,000.
In New Mexico, alcohol is behind one in six deaths among working adults.
This staggeringly high rate has previously been linked to the influenc of alcohol producers as well as a strong drinking culture.
The pharmacy report also analyzed data from 2020 on the proportion of cancer deaths believed to be due to cigarettes.
West Virginia had the highest proportion, results showed, followed by Kentucky — 37.2 percent — and Arkansas — 36.1 percent.
This was likely linked to the fact that the state has the highest rate of smoking in the nation, at 20 percent of adults — double the national average of ten percent.
Navin Khosla, a pharmacist behind the research, urged Americans to seek medical help if they are struggling to stop using a drug or drinking alcohol.
'Addiction is a medical condition, not a sign of weakness or a flaw that people overcome with willpower alone,' he said in the report.
'You can begin your journey to recovery by reaching out to somebody for help.
'This could be a loved one, a close friend, or someone else. You could let them know that you're asking them for help because your goal is to safely stop using drugs or alcohol.'