Wyoming Ranks Surprisingly High for Drug Usage by State

It is no secret that Wyoming has had a long and storied history with illegal substance abuse, but it's not only us. The entire country has been "at war" with since 1971 under the Nixon administration.

A recent study conducted by personal finance website, WalletHub, listed "Drug Use by State (2025)" and unfortunately, the Cowboy State ranked extremely high. Out of all fifty states and the District of Columbia, Wyoming ranked 13th overall, making us one of the states with the biggest drug problems, despite our relatively small population (which more than likely also hurt us in the long run).

According to the WalletHub study:

There were more than 80,670 drug overdose deaths in the 12-month period ending in November 2024. It’s crucial for the government to address this issue and prevent it from getting any worse. The government must also deal with the changing landscape of drug use, as newer drugs like fentanyl become more widespread.

The study compared each state in terms of twenty key metrics, ranging from arrest and overdose rates to opioid prescriptions and employee drug testing laws.

Here is how Wyoming ranked in some of those metrics:

• Drug Addiction Rank - 36th
• Law Enforcement Rank - 1st
• Drug Health Issues & Rehab Rank - 29th
• Percentage of Adult Drug Users - 49th
• Drug Arrests per Capita - 2nd
• Substance Abuse Treatment Facilities per 100,000 Drug Users - 48th

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As this week is National Prevention Week, it is a good time shed light on this problem.

What is National Prevention Week?

National Prevention Week is an annual event held to raise awareness about the importance of substance use, prevention and mental health promotion.