The Land of Enchantment is anything but.
New Mexico is the most drug-addled state in the union, and its teenagers are the most addicted, according to a new study by financial company WalletHub.
Arkansas ranked second overall, with concerns centered around youth exposure to drugs, limited access to support services and a high number of opioid prescriptions.
Alaska was third, with the second-highest number of overdose deaths nationwide and the sixth-highest year-over-year increase in those fatalities. Nearly 30 percent of students reported being offered, sold or given illegal drugs on school property, the ninth-highest rate in the country.
Utah ranked lowest in all categories, with Florida and Minnesota second and third from the bottom.
The report, released ahead of National Prevention week — which runs from May 10 to May 16 —highlights the regions most affected by drug addictions across the U.S.
In order to determine which states have the biggest drug problems, WalletHub compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia in three overall categories — drug use and addiction; law enforcement arrests and convictions; and drug health issues, including mental and physical rehab
They broke it down further using 20 factors for each state, such as number of opioid prescriptions, drug arrests and overdose deaths.
“Drug problems can start from multiple sources, like taking illegal substances with friends of getting hooked on a prescription that was originally given for a legitimate medical issue,” said Chip Lupo, WalletHub analyst.
“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 York had an overall rank of 24, but stood out with a low rank of 48th in the number of opioid prescriptions per 100 people.
New Jersey weighed in with an overall rank of 41, but was fourth in the number of teenagers who were offered, sold or given illegal drugs at school, and and third in the number of people receiving substance abuse treatment per 1,000 users.
Other notable findings include:
- Teenage drug use: New Mexico ranked highest, followed by Maine, Vermont, Delaware and Massachusetts.
- Lowest drug addiction problems: Utah ranked as the state with the lowest drug addiction problems, behind South Dakota, Iowa, Wyoming and Texas.
- Among adults, Vermont had the highest percentage of those who had used drugs in the past month, followed by New Mexico, Maine, Washington, D.C. and Oregon. Utah again ranked lowest, along with Texas, Wyoming, Iowa and Alabama. Vermont’s adult drug use rate is reported as being twice that of Utah’s.
- West Virginia recorded the highest overdose death rate per capita in the country, followed by Alaska, the District of Columbia, Washington and New Mexico.
- Nebraska had the lowest rate of overdose deaths, with South Dakota, Iowa, Arkansas and North Dakota also among the states with the fewest overdose deaths.
According to the study, the 10 states with the most drug issues are,
1. New Mexico
2. Arkansas
3. Alaska
4. Nevada
5. Missouri
6. West Virginia
7. Colorado
8. Washington, D.C.
9. Oklahoma
10. Mississippi
The 10 states least at risk for drug use are:
42. Nebraska
43. Connecticut
44. Hawaii
45. Ohio
46. Virginia
47. Iowa
48. Maryland
49. Minnesota
50. Florida
51. Utah
