The researchers report that, although substance abuse and mental health issues vary widely by state, no state is immune to these problems.

For example, the study shows that while Utah enjoys the lowest rates of underage drinking and marijuana use, the state also is plagued by the highest rate of adults suffering from serious psychological problems, at 14.4 percent of the population.

In North Dakota, just 5.7 percent of people aged 12 and older used an illicit drug in the month prior to being surveyed, compared with a high of 11.2 percent in Rhode Island.

Vermont led the nation in marijuana use in a number of different ways. Among those 12 and older, 15.5 percent of Vermonters said they had used marijuana in the prior 12 months, and 41.9 percent of young adults aged 18 to 25 said they had used marijuana in the prior year.

Cocaine use was highest in the District of Columbia, at 2.4 percent of those 12 and older. It was lowest in North Dakota, at 1.6 percent.

North Dakota, however, had the highest rate of underage binge drinking episodes. Georgia had the lowest level of underage binge drinking, with 15.2 percent reporting a binge episode in the prior month.

SAMSHA researchers hope that the report will help states make better use of limited funding for substance abuse and mental health treatment.

(Source: http://www.oas.samhsa.gov)