MITCHELL, SD (Mitchell Now) — South Dakota has the nation’s highest Alcohol Harm Index score while falling below the median for facility-based treatment access, according to Lantana Recovery’s Alcohol Across America study.
The findings add a treatment-access perspective to MitchellNow’s earlier report on South Dakota’s rising alcohol-induced death rate. That report detailed a roughly 90% increase from 2015 to 2024, even as the state’s alcohol-impaired traffic fatality rate declined.
South Dakota scored 81.8 on the study’s Alcohol Harm Index and 42.8 for Treatment Access. The comparison uses medians of 50.6 for harm and 47.2 for access.
What Does the Treatment Access Score Measure?
The access score combines alcohol treatment facilities per adult and the share of substance use treatment facilities accepting Medicaid. It does not measure available beds, waiting times, travel distances or treatment quality.
The analysis compares all 50 states and Washington, D.C., using CDC-derived mortality figures, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration data and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration treatment data. Its scores are relative comparisons, not percentages or clinical assessments.
How Does South Dakota Compare?
Thirteen states fall into the higher-harm, lower-access group. Six also rank among the study’s 10 highest Alcohol Harm Index scores: South Dakota, Tennessee, South Carolina, Colorado, Nevada and Mississippi.
In comments accompanying the findings, Lantana Recovery Chief Operating Officer Lindsay Richerson called for expanded local treatment capacity, broader Medicaid coverage and easier access to detoxification and evidence-based care.
The statewide findings do not establish a separate ranking or measure of treatment availability for Mitchell or Davison County. Readers can explore the full study and interactive comparison.