Mapped: States With the Most Opioid Prescriptions - Voronoi
2d ago
Mapped: States With the Most Opioid Prescriptions
Key Takeaways
Southern states had the highest opioid dispensing rates per 100 persons in 2023, including Arkansas (71.5), Alabama (71.4), Mississippi (63.1), and Louisiana (62.7).
On the other hand, states with the lowest rates were spread out geographically: Hawaii (22.6), California (23.8), New Jersey (26.3), and New York (26.3).
💊 Why Do Southern States Have Higher Rates?
Many southern states experience higher rates of poverty, unemployment, and economic hardship, which correlate strongly with increased opioid prescribing and misuse.
The region has a higher percentage of populations engaged in injury-prone occupations, leading to more pain-related medical visits and subsequent opioid prescriptions.
Providers in southern states have historically received aggressive marketing from pharmaceutical companies for opioid medications, which contributed to more liberal prescribing practices.
Health care disparities, including lower access to mental health and substance abuse treatment services, mean opioids are more likely to be prescribed for chronic or persistent pain.
Sociocultural norms in the South may favor medication-based pain management over non-drug therapies, increasing opioid dispensing rates.
The Deep South, with uniformly high rates of physical inactivity and chronic disease (including arthritis, diabetes, and obesity), presents more frequent cases of persistent pain—feeding demand for opioid prescriptions.
