Minnesota Ranked Among States With Lowest Levels Of Drug Abuse

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Minnesota has been ranked as one of the states with the lowest levels of drug abuse.

According to a recent study from WalletHub, Minnesota is ranked as No. 49 among 50 states and the District of Columbia. The ranking was based on three overall categories: drug use and addiction, law enforcement, and drug health issues and rehab.

The highest levels of drug abuse were found in the District of Columbia, West Virginia and Missouri, respectively.

One of the subcategories measured in the study was the number of opioid pain reliever prescriptions per 100 people. In that subcategory, Minnesota also ranked No. 49.

Despite Minnesota having lower levels of drug abuse when compared nationally, drug overdose deaths rose significantly in the state in 2020.

The Minnesota Department of Health says that 1,008 people in Minnesota died of an overdose in 2020, up from 792 people in 2019. The data shows the overdose numbers began to surge in March, when the pandemic began in Minnesota.

Overdoses from commonly-prescribed opioids, like hydrocodone, oxycodone, and morphine, accounted for about 200 deaths last year, an increase of over 50%.

For those who are suffering, help is available, health officials say. A list of recovery resources from the University of Minnesota can be found here.