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SHREVEPORT, Louisiana (KTAL/KMSS) – Louisiana has more drug overdose deaths per 100,000 residents than most other states, according to a new study.

In a study conducted by the Amethyst Recover Center in Port Saint Lucie, Florida, an inpatient drug and alcohol rehabilitation facility that believes hope changes everything, researchers were able to identify the U.S. states where the likelihood of dying from a drug overdose is higher.

Louisiana was at the top of the list.

According to the state’s attorney general, in 2020, only 7% of blood samples brought to the Louisiana State Police crime lab showed traces of fentanyl. But in 2022, 23% of blood samples showed traces of the drug.

The Amethyst Recover Center study used data from health policy research, news sources, and surveys to determine how many drug overdose deaths occurred in each U.S. state in 2022. The result was that Louisiana ranked high on the list of drug overdose deaths.

With 1,335 deaths, West Virginia had more drug overdose deaths per 100,000 residents (75.3) in 2022 than any other state in the Union, followed by Tennessee with 3,825, followed by Delaware with 549.

Louisiana had the fourth highest number of drug overdose deaths per capita in 2022. Drug overdose statistics show that there were 51.8 fatal drug overdoses per 100,000 people in Louisiana in 2022.

The national average is 33.2 per 100,000 residents, putting Louisiana well above the national average.

Neighboring states like Texas and Arkansas had far fewer drug overdose deaths per 100,000 residents in 2022. More than 5,400 Texans (18.3 per 100,000) died of a drug overdose in 2022, while in Arkansas the number was 617. (That’s 20.3 per 100,000.)

During the same period, 95 fatal drug overdoses were reported in South Dakota statewide, making the state the state with the fewest number of drug overdoses per 100,000 residents.

California had nearly 11,000 drug overdose deaths in 2022, the highest number in the country. However, because the population is so large, the number is only 28 per 100,000.

Nicholas Bellofatto is the intake manager at Amethyst Recover Center. He said drug overdose deaths remain one of the leading injury-related causes of death in America.

“As the data shows, this is obviously worse in certain states,” Bellofatto said in a press release.

Bellofatto also said the opioid epidemic is a particular problem, as opioids are responsible for about 75% of all overdose deaths.

Americans use more opioids than citizens of any other country. But Bellofatto said there are ways to combat drug addiction and many people can get away with the right support.

If you need help fighting your addiction, Bellofatto recommends reaching out to a doctor or a hotline. “In addition, there are thousands of substance abuse treatment facilities and rehabilitation centers across the country that are well-equipped to provide the help that many people need.”

Where does your state rank on the list? Take a look at the chart below. If your state ranks high on the list, talk to your local elected officials as soon as possible. Statistics courtesy of Amethyst Recover Center.

(Source: Information provided by Amethyst Recover Center.)