To determine where drug abuse is most pronounced and which areas are most at risk, analysts compared states and the District of Columbia using 21 relevant metrics. Metrics ranged from arrest and overdose rates to number of opioid prescriptions. Read more about the methodology here.
Here are the 10 locations with the highest drug use, based on the analysis:
1. West Virginia
2. District of Columbia
3. Arkansas
4. Missouri
5. New Mexico
6. Nevada
7. Colorado
8. Michigan
9. Oregon
10. Tennessee
Here are the 10 states with the lowest drug use, based on the analysis:
1. Minnesota
2. Hawaii
3. Utah
4. Idaho
5. Iowa
6. North Dakota
7. Nebraska
8. Virginia
9. South Dakota
10. Georgia
