[Note: This posting is a continuation of a report on
the development of a civics unit of study.
This unit is directing students to formulate informed positions on the
opioid epidemic. Presently, this
development, in real time, is reporting on how this epidemic has been
experienced among the various states of the US.]
Here, simply stated, are
the number of prescriptions for opioids per 100 residents of the various states
and the District of Columbia in the year 2012.
They are presented in the order of magnitude from the highest level of
prescriptions to the lowest level:
1)
Alabama
142.9
2)
Tennessee 142.8
3)
West
Virginia 137.6
4)
Kentucky 128.4
5)
Oklahoma 127.8
6)
Mississippi 120.3
7)
Louisiana 118
8)
Arkansas 115.8
9)
Indiana 109.1
10) Michigan 107
11) South Carolina 101.8
12) Ohio
100.1
13) North Carolina 96.6
14) Missouri 94.8
15) Nevada 94.1
16) Kansas 93.8
17) Delaware 90.8
18) Georgia 90.7
19) Rhode Island 89.6
20) Oregon 89.2
21) Pennsylvania 88.2
22) Utah
85.8
23) District of Columbia 85.7
24) Idaho
85.6
25) Maine
85.1
26) Arizona 82.4
27) Montana 82
28) Nebraska 79.4
29) Virginia 77.5
30) Washington 77.3
31) Wisconsin 76.1
32) North Dakota 74.7
33) Maryland 74.3
34) Texas
74.3
35) New Mexico 73.8
36) Iowa
72.8
37) Florida 72.7
38) Connecticut 72.4
39) New Hampshire 71.7
40) Colorado 71.2
41) Massachusetts 70.8
42) Wyoming 69.6
43) Illinois 67.9
44) Vermont 67.4
45) South Dakota 66.5
46) Alaska 65.1
47) New Jersey 62.9
48) Minnesota 61.6
49) New York 59.5
50) California 57
51) Hawaii 52[1]
This set of data gives one a feel of how this epidemic is area
sensitive; i.e., localities or regions do seem to influence how much medical
professionals are disposed toward prescribing opioids.
At this point,
they are presented without comment. What
is suggested is that if a civics teacher were to present these numbers, they
might serve as a “springboard” for an inquiry.
Students can be asked to review and analyze the information and propose hypotheses
as to why this distribution is as it is.
What a teacher can add is that there
is no evidence to indicate that the distribution of pain varies among
localities, states, or regions.
Therefore, reasons for this distribution must be found elsewhere if one
is to understand why the states are arranged as they are. Of note is how much the numbers vary from a
low of 52 to a high of 142.9. That is,
the highest is almost three times higher than the lowest.
Given the information this blog has
already shared, these numbers represent prescription rates early in this
epidemic. Since, then, and Florida has
been highlighted in this regard, some states are becoming more pro-active in
controlling how and where opioids are prescribed. This could affect how the various states are
ranked.
Perhaps the reader might take part in
this suggested assignment by hypothesizing reasons for the listed ranking. More information will be reported in the next
posting and perhaps whatever hypothesis a reader might devise can be, at least
in part, tested.
[1] “Vital Signs:
Variation among States in Prescribing of Opioid Pain Relievers and Benzodiazepines
– United States, 2012,” Center for Disease Control and Prevention, vol. 63, no.
26, July 4, 2014, accessed July 25, 2018, https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6326a2.htm?s_cid=mm6326a2_w#Tab
.
