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These are the states with the biggest drug problems — and the least

Nypost · · 571 words · By Jeanne Erickson
Drug Addiction Public Health Statistics State-level Comparison
open_in_new Read the original article: https://nypost.com/2026/05/16/us-news/american-states-with-the-most-and-least-dr…

psychologyDetected Techniques

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Loaded Language 80% confidence
Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.
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Exaggeration / Hyperbole 70% confidence
Overstating facts or claims to create a stronger emotional response.

fact_checkFact-Check Results

19 claims extracted and verified against multiple sources including cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia.

schedule Pending 9
info Single Source 4
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verified Verified 2
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“New Mexico is the most drug-addled state in the union, and its teenagers are the most addicted, according to a new study by financial company WalletHub.”
SINGLE SOURCE
While there are search results for WalletHub studies on obesity and federal dependency, the provided evidence does not contain the specific ranking for New Mexico as the 'most drug-addled state' or its teenagers' addiction rates.
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web search NEUTRAL — WalletHub ranked the country's top 100 cities by their obesity rates.
https://wallethub.com/edu/fattest-cities-in-america/10532
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web search NEUTRAL — About Press Copyright Contact us Creators Advertise Developers Terms Privacy Policy & Safety How YouTube works Test new features.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PY9DcIMGxMs
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web search NEUTRAL — NEW JERSEY — New Jersey ranked as the least federally dependent state in the nation in a new 2026 report from personal finance website WalletHub. With the tax filing deadline …
https://wrnjradio.com/wallethub-study-ranks-new-jersey-as-le…
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“Arkansas ranked second overall”
SINGLE SOURCE
The evidence mentions Arkansas in a different WalletHub study regarding 'worst states to live in' and mentions Nevada ranking second in a specific drug health category, but does not confirm Arkansas ranked second overall in a drug problem study.
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web search NEUTRAL — Overall, WalletHub found that Louisiana was the worst state to live in the country. With the worst economic ranking in the study and the third-worst ranking for education and health, Louisiana average…
https://www.kark.com/news/state-news/arkansas-ranked-as-one-…
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web search NEUTRAL — Nevada ranked second overall in the "drug health issues and rehab" category. According to Wallethub, here are the top 20 states with the highest drug use
https://www.iheart.com/content/2021-05-17-apparently-nevada-…
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web search NEUTRAL — To read WalletHub's full piece on tax burdens by state in the US, click here.
https://wallethub.com/edu/states-with-highest-lowest-tax-bur…
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“Alaska was third, with the second-highest number of overdose deaths nationwide and the sixth-highest year-over-year increase in those fatalities.”
CORROBORATED
Two independent sources (WalletHub and a Newsweek/Map report) confirm Alaska ranked third overall, had the second-highest number of overdose deaths, and the sixth-highest year-over-year increase in fatalities.
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web search NEUTRAL — In addition, the state has the second-highest share of teenagers who report that they tried marijuana before age 13. Alaska also ranks poorly in terms of the impact of substance abuse on its populatio…
https://wallethub.com/edu/drug-use-by-state/35150
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web search NEUTRAL — Alaska ranked third, with particularly severe overdose impacts. It had the second-highest number of overdose deaths nationwide and the sixth-highest year-over-year increase in those fatalities.
https://www.newsweek.com/map-reveals-states-with-worst-drug-…
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web search NEUTRAL — MIAMI — With National Prevention Week around the corner and the number of annual drug overdose deaths in the U.S. reaching more than 80,670, the personal-finance website WalletHub has released its rep…
https://chaindrugreview.com/wallethub-study-looks-at-drug-us…
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“Nearly 30 percent of students reported being offered, sold or given illegal drugs on school property, the ninth-highest rate in the country.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The claim is explicitly stated in the Newsweek article ('Map Reveals States With The Worst Drug Addiction...'), but no other independent source in the provided evidence corroborates this specific statistic for Alaska.
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web search NEUTRAL — The US federal government is an opponent of the illegal drug trade; however, state laws vary greatly and in some cases contradict federal laws. The Organization of American States estimated that the r…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illegal_drug_trade_in_the_Unit…
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web search NEUTRAL — Nearly 30 percent of students reported being offered, sold or given illegal drugs on school property, the ninth-highest rate in the country.
https://www.newsweek.com/map-reveals-states-with-worst-drug-…
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web search NEUTRAL — Drug use in the US has been a major issue for decades, and there seems to be no signs of slowing down. Despite efforts to combat drug use, the problem still persists. Looking back at a little history,…
https://www.rehabnear.me/drug-use-so-rampant-in-the-us/
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“Utah ranked lowest in all categories, with Florida and Minnesota second and third from the bottom.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The evidence mentions Utah in WalletHub studies regarding 'best states to live in' and student debt, but does not provide the rankings for the drug problem study specifically.
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web search NEUTRAL — WalletHub's ranking of the most fun states in the nation.
https://wallethub.com/edu/most-fun-states/34665
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web search NEUTRAL — The recent study by WalletHub compared the 50 states across five key dimensions: affordability, economy, education and health, quality of life, and safety. Based on all of those metrics combined, they…
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/utah-makes-top-10-best-1…
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web search NEUTRAL — + KEY POINTS. A WalletHub study reveals Utah has nation's lowest average student debt — and the lowest proportion of students with debt.
https://www.deseret.com/utah/2025/09/22/student-loan-study-u…
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“National Prevention week — which runs from May 10 to May 16”
VERIFIED
A source explicitly states National Prevention Week is observed from May 10 to May 16 (specifically mentioning 2026).
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web search NEUTRAL — National Prevention Week (NPW), observed from May 10, 2026, to May 16, 2026, is a nationwide public health observance led by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).
https://socialmodelrecovery.org/2026/05/national-prevention-…
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web search NEUTRAL — As National Prevention Week takes place, it is important to reflect on its significance. This week is a way to raise awareness in communities about the importance of positive mental health and substan…
https://www.gcbhs.com/post/may-12-18-is-national-prevention-…
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web search NEUTRAL — Upcoming Events. Tuesday, May 12. Lawyer in the Library With the Prince William County Bar Association.Tuesday, May 12. QPR-Suicide Awareness and Gatekeeper Training (Virtual) - National Prevention We…
https://www.pwcva.gov/events/understanding-aces-increase-wel…
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“WalletHub compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia in three overall categories — drug use and addiction; law enforcement arrests and convictions; and drug health issues, including mental and physical rehab”
CORROBORATED
Multiple sources (WalletHub and The Georgia News/Map Monday) confirm the study compared 50 states and D.C. across categories including drug use/addiction, law enforcement, and health/rehab.
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web search NEUTRAL — According to WalletHub, the federal drug budget increased from $23.8 billion in 2013 to over $27.7 billion in 2018. “Opioid use disorder (OUD) is treatable for some individuals with pharmacotherapy (m…
https://thedcpost.com/washington-dc-highest-drug-use/
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web search NEUTRAL — This study compares the 50 states and the District in terms of 22 key metrics, ranging from arrest and overdose rates to opioid prescriptions and employee drug testing laws. You can find some highligh…
https://www.porh.psu.edu/drug-use-by-state-2020s-problem-are…
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web search NEUTRAL — Drug Use & Addiction. Law Enforcement. Drug Health Issues & Rehab.34th – Drug Arrests per Capita. 51st – Share of Adults Who Couldn’t Get Treatment for Illicit Drug Use in the Past Year. Graphic by Wa…
https://www.thegeorgiavirtue.com/national-news/map-monday-st…
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“They broke it down further using 20 factors for each state, such as number of opioid prescriptions, drug arrests and overdose deaths.”
VERIFIED
WalletHub evidence confirms the study used key metrics including arrest rates, overdose rates, and opioid prescriptions. While one source mentions '22 key metrics' and the claim says '20', the core factors listed are confirmed.
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web search NEUTRAL — This study compares the 50 states and the District in terms of 22 key metrics, ranging from arrest and overdose rates to opioid prescriptions and employee drug testing laws. You can find some highligh…
https://www.porh.psu.edu/drug-use-by-state-2020s-problem-are…
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web search NEUTRAL — named number seven by WalletHub for highest drug use per state.
https://wallethub.com/edu/drug-use-by-state/35150
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web search NEUTRAL — The factors that contributed to these states topping the drug use chart were police arrests and overdose rates to opioid prescriptions and what the report called "meth-lab incidents" per capita.
https://www.ibtimes.com/drug-addiction-us-2017-dc-vermont-co…
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“New York had an overall rank of 24, but stood out with a low rank of 48th in the number of opioid prescriptions per 100 people.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was provided for this claim in the search results.
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“New Jersey weighed in with an overall rank of 41, but was fourth in the number of teenagers who were offered, sold or given illegal drugs at school, and and third in the number of people receiving substance abuse treatment per 1,000 users.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was provided for this claim in the search results.
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“Teenage drug use: New Mexico ranked highest, followed by Maine, Vermont, Delaware and Massachusetts.”
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“Lowest drug addiction problems: Utah ranked as the state with the lowest drug addiction problems, behind South Dakota, Iowa, Wyoming and Texas.”
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“Among adults, Vermont had the highest percentage of those who had used drugs in the past month, followed by New Mexico, Maine, Washington, D.C. and Oregon.”
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“Utah again ranked lowest, along with Texas, Wyoming, Iowa and Alabama.”
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“Vermont’s adult drug use rate is reported as being twice that of Utah’s.”
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“West Virginia recorded the highest overdose death rate per capita in the country, followed by Alaska, the District of Columbia, Washington and New Mexico.”
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“Nebraska had the lowest rate of overdose deaths, with South Dakota, Iowa, Arkansas and North Dakota also among the states with the fewest overdose deaths.”
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“the 10 states with the most drug issues are, 1. New Mexico 2. Arkansas 3. Alaska 4. Nevada 5. Missouri 6. West Virginia 7. Colorado 8. Washington, D.C. 9. Oklahoma 10. Mississippi”
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“The 10 states least at risk for drug use are: 42. Nebraska 43. Connecticut 44. Hawaii 45. Ohio 46. Virginia 47. Iowa 48. Maryland 49. Minnesota 50. Florida 51. Utah”
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info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.