How Big Of A Drug Problem Does New York State Have?

WalletHub took a look at the states in America with the biggest drug problems. You might be surprised as to where New York State landed on the list. The report studied drug use in all 50 states and the District of Columbia using 20 key metrics, including arrest and overdose rates to opioid prescriptions and employee drug testing laws.

There were more than 103,500 drug overdose deaths in America in the 12-month period ending in November 2022. It’s crucial for the government to address this issue and prevent it from getting any worse. The government must also deal with the changing landscape of drug use, as newer drugs like fentanyl become more widespread. In fact, the DEA seized the equivalent of more than 410 million lethal doses of fentanyl in 2022.

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Here's How New York Ranks Among The Other States For Drug Use

The state with the biggest drug problem, according to WalletHub's study is New Mexico, which took the #1 spot from West Virginia.

I definitely thought New York would be higher on the list.

New York is in the middle of the list at #24, up from #28 the previous year.

For New York specifically, here is how are ranked according to certain key metrics:

Drug Abuse & Prevention in New York (1=Biggest Problem; 25=Avg.):
15th – Share of Teenagers Who Used Illicit Drugs in the Past Month
16th – Share of Adults Who Used Illicit Drugs in the Past Month
47th – Opioid Pain Reliever Prescriptions per 100 People
32nd – Drug Overdose Deaths per Capita
22nd – Drug Arrests per Capita
35th – Share of Adults Who Couldn’t Get Treatment for Illicit Drug Use in the Past Year
10th – Substance Abuse Treatment Facilities per 100,000 People (Age 12+) Using Illicit Drugs

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