UNWANTED 1st PLACE FINISH –
May 16, 2026 – Arkansas ranked second overall, with concerns centered around youth exposure to drugs, limited access to support services and a high number of opioid prescriptions. Alaska was third, with the second-highest number of overdose deaths nationwide and the sixth-highest year-over-year increase in those fatalities.
he report, released ahead of National Prevention week — which runs from May 10 to May 16 —highlights the regions most affected by drug addictions across the U.S.
In order to determine which states have the biggest drug problems, 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
They broke it down further using 20 factors for each state, such as number of opioid prescriptions, drug arrests and overdose deaths.
“Drug problems can start from multiple sources, like taking illegal substances with friends of getting hooked on a prescription that was originally given for a legitimate medical issue,” said Chip Lupo, WalletHub analyst.
