An illuminating new report has uncovered the states hardest hit by America’s drug addiction epidemic.
According to official data, about 100,000 Americans now die from drug overdoses every year. Most of these deaths result from ingestion of the deadly fentanyl, which can be fatal in very small doses.
But researchers from an online pharmacy have analyzed official figures to determine which regions of the country are worst affected.
West Virginia topped the list, with 79 drug-related deaths per 100,000 residents. The researchers suggested this was likely due to the high number of opioid prescriptions.
Intriguingly, the region with the second highest number of drug deaths was the country’s political center, Washington DC, with around 70 drug deaths per 100,000 – also reportedly the result of powerful painkillers.
Drug overdose deaths are also one of the leading causes of substance abuse deaths in the US
Hunter Biden, the son of President Joe Biden, accompanied by his mother, first lady Jill Biden and his wife Melissa Cohen Biden, leaves federal court after hearing the verdict, Tuesday, June 11, 2024, in Wilmington, Del.
Louisiana ranked at the bottom of the five most affected states, with 53.3 deaths per 100,000 – 33 percent less than West Virginia’s.
The report from online pharmacy nowpatient found that half of the top ten states were in the South of the country and four were in the Northeast or Midwest.
The analysis did not identify the states with the fewest drug-related fatalities, although previous research shows South Dakota, Wyoming and Montana record the lowest number of overdose deaths in the country.
Overdose deaths began to increase in America around 2015 and 2016, when fentanyl first entered the illicit drug supply.
It is known to produce a more intense high than other opioids: 50 to 100 times stronger than heroin. But doses as small as two milligrams can be fatal.
America’s addiction crisis began in the 1990s, when doctors began prescribing high doses of powerful painkillers for many ailments, such as pain or injuries after surgery, in the belief that the risk of addiction was low.
But hundreds of thousands of patients became addicted and turned to the black market when prescriptions ran out.
The above graph shows overdose deaths in the US. The dots represent the predicted number, while the black line represents the actual number
The map above shows how overdose deaths have shifted by state over the past year. Although rates have fallen in many areas, they still remain double in 2015
Surveys show that nearly two-thirds of Americans now have a family member addicted to drugs or alcohol, while nearly one in 10 has lost a family member to an overdose.
The most recent data shows that the annual number of overdose deaths is approximately 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 associated with alcohol and cigarettes.
Alcohol-related deaths may be linked to long-term damage to organs, such as the liver, or injuries while intoxicated, such as from car accidents
Smoking remains the leading cause of substance abuse deaths in the US, with estimates of one in ten Americans currently smoking.
New Mexico had the highest rate, with 43.8 alcohol-related deaths per 100,000 residents.
Alaska had the second highest rate, 39 per 100,000, while Wyoming had the third highest, 35.4 per 100,000.
In New Mexico, alcohol is responsible for one in six deaths among working adults.
This staggeringly high percentage has previously been linked to the influence of alcohol manufacturers and a strong drinking culture.
The pharmacy report also analyzed 2020 data on the proportion of cancer deaths believed to be attributable to cigarettes.
West Virginia had the highest rate, the results showed, followed by Kentucky – 37.2 percent – and Arkansas – 36.1 percent.
This was likely due to the fact that the state has the highest percentage of smokers in the country, at 20 percent of adults – double the national average of ten percent.
Navin Khosla, a pharmacist behind the study, urged Americans to seek medical help if they have trouble quitting drugs or drinking alcohol.
“Addiction is a medical condition, not a sign of weakness or a flaw that people overcome through willpower alone,” he said in the report.
“You can start your journey to recovery by asking someone for help.
‘This could be a loved one, a close friend or someone else. You could let them know that you are asking them for help because your goal is to safely stop using drugs or alcohol.”
