These States Have the Highest Rates of Illicit Drug Use

A new study has revealed the states with the highest rates of illicit drug use, as reported by residents themselves.

Vermont came up number one with the highest self-reported percentage of adults using illicit drugs in the past month, according to a list compiled by addiction treatment organization CuredNation.

Roughly one in four Vermonters aged 18 or older admitted to using illicit drugs within the past month. And for teenagers aged 12 to 17, drug use was at 12.5 percent in the state. Illicit drugs are defined as those that are illegal to possess, including cocaine, heroin and cannabis among others.

Vermont's cocaine use was also highest in the country, with 3.3 percent of the entire population admitting to its use in the past year. That's double the national rate of 1.86 percent.

Alaska and Oregon rounded out the top three states with the most illicit drug use. Alaska residents reported using illicit drugs 22.5 percent of the time with marijuana especially popular among teenagers, with 18 percent admitting to its use in the past year. In Oregon, a slightly lower number, or 21.8 percent said they had used illicit drugs in the past month, but specific kinds of drug use varied.

"This highlights the fact that drug use affects millions of people directly, and millions more indirectly, so it's important to remember that if you or a loved one is struggling with addiction, there are ways to get support and help which can put them on the path to recovery," Trent Carter, founder of Curednation.com, said in a statement.

States facing higher poverty levels alongside limited access to quality healthcare often exhibit increased rates of illicit drug use, experts say.

The opioid crisis, which is estimated to have killed more than 110,000 people in 2022 alone, was most prevalent in Tennessee, Arkansas, Alabama and Louisiana.

U.S. Faces Opioid Crisis

Opioid use includes heroin, fentanyl, codeine and morphine. In all of these states, opioid use had surpassed 4 percent, while the national average hovers at 3.4 percent.

"This one is closely tied to economic decline," Ben Michael, an attorney at M & A Criminal Defense Attorneys, told Newsweek. "One common gateway to opioid dependency is injuries caused by blue collar jobs. Combine this with the fact that blue collar jobs are disappearing at an increasing rate, especially from the deep south, and you have a recipe for an opioid crisis."

Southern states are also more likely to have experienced challenges related to healthcare disparities, economic struggles and increased opioid prescribing, experts say.

There were some states that were generally squeaky clean when it came to illegal drug use. Texas was last on the list, with adults reporting drug use only 9 percent of the time. Despite Alabama's high opioid use, the state was next, at 10 percent. South Dakota was the third lowest with 10.4 percent of residents reporting illicit drug use in the past month.

Addressing the Fentanyl Problem

President Joe Biden previously called the fentanyl crisis a "national tragedy" and outlined a plan to help solve it this month. As part of the plan, Biden called for expanded access to treatment and international cooperation to limit certain chemical exports from China.

"Curbing this crisis is something every American can get behind," Biden said at a White House meeting this month. "It's tough stuff. People are dying".

At the state level, politicians have also pledged to address the crisis, but many don't feel it's enough.

Elissa Tierney, who is a community organizer at Not One More NJ, said leaders have generally not addressed the growing addiction problem, despite all the money they throw at it. Tierney has worked in rural areas across New Jersey, where lack of resources and transportation were a top concern for those struggling with addiction.

"I think there is a massive disconnect between what we see on the front lines and when authorities address it," Tierney told Newsweek. "Politicians do not look at people with lived experience as experts in the field and this is why we keep throwing money at this problem and we are still in the midst of history's worst humanitarian crisis. You cannot fight a war without talking to the soldiers coming off the field."