10 Troubling Facts About Louisiana You’d Be Better Off Not Knowing

Louisiana is one of the most amazing places in the world, but it’s not without problems. Sometimes, it can be overwhelming to think about all the issues that Louisiana has. But as we all know, at times, it’s better to face the music and try to fix things than it is to pretend like everything is just fine. So, here are some facts about Louisiana that aren’t the most pleasant:

1. Louisiana has an occupational fatality rate of 7.6 per 100,000 workers.

This tallies injuries from transportation, utilities, trade, construction and business services, and leaves Louisiana 46th in the country for these deaths.

2. From 1985 to 2010, Louisiana lost 16.57 square miles a year of wetlands in the Louisiana delta.

3. Louisiana has an infant mortality rate of 8.4 per 1,000 births, ranking us 48th in the nation.

4. Approximately 73.5% of students in Louisiana who begin 9th grade graduate within four years with a high school diploma.

This ranks Louisiana 45th in the nation for high school graduation.

5. Louisiana has a violent crime rate of 518.5 per 100,000, ranking us 46th in the nation.

This is a measure of how many rapes, murders, robberies, and assaults happen per 100,000 persons in the state.

6. About 34.9% of Louisiana residents have a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher, making us 50th in the country for obesity.

7. Approximately 33.7% of Louisiana children are living in poverty, leaving us 50th in the nation for child poverty.

8. About 24% of Louisiana residents are smokers, making us 46th in the country for smokers.

9. Industrial facilities released more than 12.6 million pounds of toxic chemicals into Louisiana’s waterways in 2012.

10. Tiger Shrimp may be invading Louisiana’s waterways.

These large invasive shrimp from Asia could take over the native shrimp population.

Did you know many of these facts about Louisiana? Which troubling fact about Louisiana disturbed you the most? Do you have any ideas of how we could fix this issues? Let us know what you think! We love to hear your feedback.