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.