A new federal report finds some significant differences in the addiction and mental-health problems affecting the 50 states, Reuters reported March 6.

The report from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) found, for example, that Vermont leads the nation in marijuana use and underage drinking, while Utah has the lowest percentage of young drinkers and marijuana users. On the other hand, however, Utah reported the nation's highest percentage of adults with serious psychological problems.

"This report shows that although states may be uniquely affected by serious public health problems like underage drinking, every state and region must confront these issues," said SAMHSA administrator Terry Cline.

The study provided state-by-state data on 23 categories of addiction and mental-health indicators. "Our hope is this report will allow people to do strategic planning to address specific issues," said Westley Clark, director of SAMHSA's Center for Substance Abuse Treatment.

According to the SAMHSA research, North Dakota had the nation's lowest level of past-month illicit-drug use among people ages 12 and older, at 5.7 percent, which Rhode Island had the highest level of current illicit-drug use at 11.2 percent. Past-year marijuana use among young adults in Vermont as 41.9 percent, compared to 18.9 percent in Utah. The rate of underage binge drinking was 28.5 percent in North Dakota, compared to 15.2 percent among Georgia residents.