“Kansas” and “Missouri” Rank High in National Drug Use Rates, Study Finds
KANSAS CITY, Mo.- According to recent research, Kansas and Missouri have among the highest rates of drug use.
With National Prevention Week approaching and trillions of dollars spent on the drug war, personal finance website WalletHub.com claims to have recently issued research on the states with the most drug problems. Kansas and Missouri were among the states with the highest drug use rates.
“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,” Happe, a WalletHub analyst, said. “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.”
According to WalletHub, to determine which states have the most drug addictions, experts examined all 50 states and Washington, D.C., based on important indicators such as arrest and overdose rates, opioid prescription use, and employee drug testing regulations. According to the research, Missouri has the sixth-largest drug problem. The Show-Me State placed 19th for drug usage and addiction, 4th for law enforcement, and 17th for drug health issues and rehabilitation, for a total score of 55.93.
Meanwhile, Kansas was discovered to have the 19th largest drug problem. The Sunflower State ranks 27th for drug usage and addiction, 24th for law enforcement, and 14th for drug health issues and rehabilitation, for a total score of 45.97.
“New Mexico has the largest drug issue in the United States, particularly among youth. Happe highlighted that the state had the largest rate of minors taking illicit drugs, as well as the highest share of teenagers who claim having tried marijuana before the age of 13. “New Mexico has the third-highest proportion of adults who use illicit substances. In addition, New Mexico has a high per capita rate of drug overdose mortality, which is increasing faster than in most other states.”
The study discovered that the places with the most drug difficulties are:
- New Mexico
- West Virginia
- Nevada
- Washington, DC.
- Colorado
Meanwhile, the states with the fewest drug issues were discovered to be:
- Hawaii
- Utah
- Nebraska
- Florida
- Maryland
However, there is still time to help resolve the situation. Experts agree that state and municipal governments may take additional steps to combat the opioid epidemic.
“Given where we are in the pandemic, it appears that we may know considerably more about what doesn’t work than what does right now. What has become evident is that we cannot arrest our way out of the opioid epidemic,” said Maryann Mason, Ph.D. “The most promising solutions we presently have are medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD), which have been shown to help treat OUD.” However, MOUD has accessibility and maintenance difficulties.”
Dr. Mason stated that MOUD has already been implemented into correctional systems, advised via telemedicine, introduced to emergency departments, and integrated into primary care, with specific crediting deleted.
“However, there is still work to be done in this area. Mason noted that another potential option is harm reduction, which works with drug users to meet them where they are and provide safer alternatives to drug use.
“These include syringe exchanges, naloxone, fentanyl, xylazine, and now benzodiazepine test strip distribution, community outreach, and education on safer use strategies, such as going slow, never using alone, and considering smoking or snorting as alternatives to injection.” Drug testing is emerging as a promising technique, although its efficacy remains unknown.”