I was reading one of my least favorite reports, the one that ranks all 50 states and the District of Columbia by fatality rate from drug overdoses, per 100,000 population.

Our state, New Mexico, ranked 10th highest, at 24.1, between Oregon and Nevada in the updated rankings.

The top 10 were as usual dominated by smaller population states and the District of Columbia, while some very large states such as California, Florida, New York and Texas had much lower death rates.  Alarmingly, the death rate was on the increase in New Mexico, whereas nationally, the trend was in the opposite direction.

Some of New Mexico’s increase could be attributed to its position along the border, between Arizona and Texas, although both of them have the advantage of a much larger population. The absolute number of fatalities in those states are actually higher than in New Mexico, but because their population is so much larger, the rate per 100,000 will be much lower.

That doesn’t make us feel any better about our own situation, of course. It simply reflects an estimated population of 2.13 million people, spread over a geographic area of 122,000 square miles.

Yes, there’s a lot of empty space in New Mexico. We noticed.

How to explain our state’s rising fatality rate? Part of the explanation lies in a significant change in the potency of drugs available on our streets.

Not so long ago, a street sample typically contained as little as one percent fentanyl. In recent months, samples have been  found with as much as 20% fentanyl content. It’s easy to see how this could increase both the total number of overdoses, and the percentage of victims who did not survive.

That’s a familiar pattern , by the way. As time passes, the demand shifts towards stronger and stronger substances, to meet the increasing needs of regular users.

If  you’re curious, here are the latest rankings.

  1. West Virginia — 38.6 opioid overdose deaths per 100,000
  2. Alaska — 37
  3. District of Columbia — 34.1
  4. Washington — 30.2
  5. Vermont — 29
  6. Delaware — 28.9
  7. Maine — 28.6
  8. Tennessee — 26.1
  9. Oregon — 24.8
  10. New Mexico — 24.1
  11. Nevada — 23.9
  12. Kentucky — 23.4
  13. Arizona — 23
  14. Connecticut — 22.9
  15. Maryland — 22.4
  16. North Carolina — 20.2
  17. South Carolina — 20.2
  18. Ohio — 20.1
  19. Rhode Island — 20.1
  20. New Hampshire — 18.7
  21. Massachusetts — 18.5
  22. Pennsylvania — 18
  23. Indiana — 17.8
  24. Alabama — 17.3
  25. Louisiana — 16.8
  26. New Jersey — 16.5
  27. New York — 16.5
  28. Colorado — 16
  29. Missouri — 15.3
  30. Oklahoma — 15.3
  31. Florida — 14.6
  32. Illinois — 14.3
  33. Wisconsin — 14
  34. Utah — 13.6
  35. California — 13.5
  36. Michigan — 13.5
  37. Virginia — 13.5
  38. Kansas — 12.5
  39. Minnesota — 11.9
  40. Georgia — 11.7
  41. Idaho — 11
  42. Mississippi — 11
  43. Wyoming — 10.4
  44. North Dakota — 9.4
  45. Montana — 9.3
  46. Hawaii — 8.2
  47. Texas — 7.8
  48. Arkansas — 6.2
  49. Iowa — 5.8
  50. South Dakota — 5.4
  51. Nebraska — 3.3

There you have it. Now, what are we going to do about it?