Wow, I have seen some PSAs lately addressing our prescription drug abuse problem, but I wonder why we are an outlier from our surrounding states.

Patterns of Narcotic Use and Abuse

The center of the country – with the exception of Oklahoma – spent less per capita on narcotics than the Eastern or Western regions did.

Alabama, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Mississippi, and West Virginia had the highest narcotic utilization rates.

Oklahoma, Nevada, Utah, Ohio, and Alabama had the highest per capita spending on narcotics (factoring in both utilization and cost-per-prescription).