Get our free mobile app

If you or your family have ever dealt with addiction, you know exactly how heart-wrenching it can be for all involved.

Louisiana ranks 11th in the country overall when it comes to states with the worst drug abuse problems according to WalletHub.com's recent report 'Drug Use By State: 2022's Problem Areas.'

Unfortunately, the news doesn't get much better from there. WalletHub.com's report says that Louisiana is 12th in the nation when it comes to drug usage and addiction, 21st in law enforcement, and 14th with regard to drug health issues and rehab. Ouch!

1987: 'A CRACK PLAGUE IN QUEENS BRINGS VIOLENCE AND FEAR'
Spencer Platt // Getty Images
loading...

Did you know that there were over 100,000 deaths due to drug overdoses in the United States over a 12-month year ending in April 2021? I'm sure that's due in part to the pandemic, but the problem remains. That figure was a 28.5% increase over the prior year. This is clearly an issue. Here's the breakdown of WalletHub.com's research spanning 21 metrics including arrests, overdose rates, opioid prescriptions issued, and employee drug testing laws.

Source: WalletHub

I was shocked to learn that Louisiana ranks 4th in the country when it comes to the 'most opioid prescriptions per 100 people.' We keep hearing about an opioid crisis, but why are so many doctors still writing prescriptions for them if there are other options available? Another sad statistic is that WalletHub.com found that Louisiana ranks 5th for the most drug arrests per capita. While I'm happy to hear we're getting drugs off the street, we also have to work the problem from other angles, like rehabilitation, education, etc...

Come on, Louisiana. We can do better.

[WalletHub.com]

Top 10 Things Louisiana Visitors Have to Eat When Visiting

Here are the Top 10 Things the World Should Thank Louisiana For

Top 10 Most Dangerous Towns in Louisiana

Louisiana has tons of awesome people and charm. Along with all of the good stuff, we've got some pretty dangerous parts. Below, you'll find the top 10 most dangerous towns in our state based on the likely hood a crime will affect the average citizen living there. Some of these entries are what you'd expect, but others were complete surprises to me. Watch your back as you travel through the Sportsman's Paradise - especially if you happen to pass through these towns.

More From Highway 98.9