Official crime rates and hospital figures give an insight into drug abuse across the US, but the data Google reaps can also reveal just how prevalent the spread of an illicit substance truly is.
A team of researchers used Google Trends, which tracks trending topics over time, to see how the popularity of different drugs has changed in the country over the past decade.
It found that searches for crystal meth are steadily rising, heroin is considered an ‘epidemic’ in Pennsylvania, and prescription drugs such as Xanax and Adderall dominate the south.
Across the United Stated - People are searching the internet for drugs... for research or whatever.
Meth and LSD are searched for more than any other drugs in Los Angeles, California, according to figures from Withdrawal.net and Google Trends.
Since Colorado legalized the recreational use of marijuana in 2012, cannabis-related searches have risen in Denver.
In Pennsylvania, heroin is the most popular drug.
In Massachusetts, the most searches are made for Suboxone - an opiate replacement drug.
In March last year, Dr Richard Ng was charged with illegally prescribing the drug, which may explain a surge in searches.
Adderall is most commonly searched for in New Orleans.
Cocaine is the most prolific drug in New York.
OxyContin and magic mushrooms are popular in Seattle.
Painkiller Oxycodone is popular in Virginia.
And people in Florida search for MDMA.
What is your drug of Choice? JUST SAY NO!!!
Now look at this old Smugglers map- Where there Drugs where targeted.... ORANGE CIRCLES are HUBS
Visualizing Drug-Related Web Searches Across the US
http://www.withdrawal.net/realize/drug-related-web-searches-across-us/