The 10 States With the Biggest Drug Problems

Drug abuse has only gotten worse with the pandemic, with 87,000 overdose deaths in the 12 months ending in September—representing a 29% increase from October 2019 to September 2020, reports the New York Times. Breaking down the states most affected by drug abuse using 21 metrics—including per capita overdose deaths, the number of opioid prescriptions, drug arrests, and admissions to substance abuse treatment—WalletHub finds the hardest hit states (including Washington, DC) remain largely unchanged from a year ago, though there are two new additions. The 10 with the biggest drug problems:

1. District of Columbia
2. West Virginia
3. Missouri
4. Colorado
5. New Mexico
6. Nevada
7. Delaware (new to the list)
8. Michigan
9. Indiana
10. Kentucky (new)

Check out the full list, or see the states considered safest during the pandemic. (More drug use stories.)