Louisiana Stands Out in Study of Long-Term Opioid Use

One in six workers’ comp claimants in Louisiana who took opioids after an injury became long-term opioid users, the highest rate among 25 states included in a new study from the Workers’ Compensation Research Institute. And Louisiana’s 17% rate of long-term opioid use was sharply higher than that of the next highest states, New York, Pennsylvania and California, which had rates of about 10%. At the other end of the spectrum were Missouri and New Jersey, where the rate of long-term opioid use was about 3%. It’s the latest dubious distinction for Louisiana workers...