BALTIMORE, MD—With National Prevention Week around the corner and the U.S. having spent over a trillion dollars on the “war on drugs” since the 1970s, the personal-finance website WalletHub this week released its report on the States with the Biggest Drug Problems.
Thankfully, Maryland was ranked near the bottom of the list at No. 47.
This study compares the 50 states and the District of Columbia in terms of 20 key metrics, ranging from arrest and overdose rates to opioid prescription use and employee drug testing laws.
Drug Abuse & Prevention in Maryland (1=Biggest Problem; 25=Avg.):
- Overall Rank: 47th
- 23rd – Share of Teenagers Who Used Illicit Drugs in the Past Month
- 25th – Share of Adults Who Used Illicit Drugs in the Past Month
- 35th – Opioid Pain Reliever Prescriptions per 100 People
- 38th – Drug Arrests per Capita
- 18th – Share of Adults Who Couldn’t Get Treatment for Illicit Drug Use in the Past Year
- 47th – Substance Abuse Treatment Facilities per 100,000 People (Age 12+) Using Illicit Drugs
“Drug problems can start from multiple sources, like taking illegal substances with friends or getting hooked on a prescription that was originally given for a legitimate medical issue,” said WalletHub analyst Cassandra Happe. “As states fight drug addiction, they need to consider all angles and make sure they are not just addressing things from a law enforcement perspective but also providing the resources necessary to help people with addictions get clean.”
“New Mexico has the biggest drug problem in the U.S., especially when it comes to teenagers. The state has the highest percentage of teens using illicit drugs, and the highest share of teenagers who report having tried marijuana before age 13,” Happe added. “New Mexico has the third-highest share of adults who use illicit drugs, as well. In addition, New Mexico has a large number of drug overdose deaths per capita, and that rate is growing faster than in most other states.”
The full report can be viewed online here at WalletHub.
More in the video below.
Photo by Alex Green from Pexels
