The 10 most addicted states in America reflect the global prevalence of people addicted to drugs and alcohol in the United States. The U.S. remains the largest market for drug trafficking as well as reporting the highest rate of drug related deaths. In many ways, the trends the U.S. experiences and the degree of research dedicated to drug and alcohol abuse demonstrates a valuable resource for promoting information and understanding and providing help for alcoholics.
Tim Powers recently wrote, “(The) degree America is experiencing the epidemic of drug use and addiction can be up for debate, but there are certain parts of the country where the use of certain drugs are causing significant concern.” In the top 10 states listed, destination cities like Las Vegas and Carson City made Nevada second on the list, with a large percentage of people in those locations seeking treatment for amphetamines and symptoms of withdrawal.
New Mexico, the District of Columbia, Florida, Rhode Island, Montana and Massachusetts all made the top ten list primarily for heroin and prescription drug abuse. Washington D.C. is reported as having the highest drug overdose mortality rate in the country. When Florida’s legislation responded to an epidemic in prescription medication overdoses by toughening laws, by 2011 they found a switch to increasing numbers of heroin-related overdoses and deaths.
Another trend sweeping the nation has been given momentum by the ongoing debate over the legalization of marijuana. The number one state in the nation for addicted persons, Vermont ranks high for a variety of drugs including marijuana and cocaine. Since the legalization of marijuana for states Alaska and Colorado, there has been an increase in the percentage of regular cannabis users. Alaska is now the second-highest for marijuana addicts in the country.
These trends and stark facts have put valuable information in the hands of communities who are now better equipped to deal with the effects of substance abuse. With the solutions available to individuals who need it like Christian sober living, the better the chance for these trends to change.