The top causes of death are similar for most states, but a lot of states have types of deaths that average out higher than the national norm. Maine is no different.

 

Drinking deaths are high in most of the Southwest. In parts of Appalachia and New New Hampshire, it’s a drug overdose. Suicide by gun stands made the top in parts of the Upper Midwest and Alaska.

The South, where obesity is a huge problem, they have high rates of heart-related deaths. New Mexico and Arizona, where American Indians have fought alcohol abuse, they have high rates of alcohol-related deaths.

But for Maine...the biggest cause of death based on the analysis from 2014 is...

CANCER

In particular, esophageal cancer. Accidents made the top 5 for Maine. This study lead to more questions than answers...like why are falls killing people in Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin? Why is Alzheimer’s disease so prevalent in Washington state?

As you will see with the map below, Maine is the only state where cancer was the leading cause of death. Now why is that?

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