The Faces of Fentanyl gallery of photos of fentanyl victims are seen on the DEA Headquarters in Arlington, Virginia, Thursday, December 8, 2022.
Salwan Georges | The Washington Post | Getty Images
Drug overdose deaths amongst adolescents surged in the course of the Covid-19 pandemic, driven overwhelmingly by illicit fentanyl, in response to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Monthly drug overdose deaths nearly tripled amongst adolescents ages 10 to 19 in the course of the first two years of the pandemic. Deaths rose from 31 in July 2019 to a peak of 87 in May 2021 after which fell to 51 in December 2021.
“Although deaths appear to have begun declining in late 2021, they’re still alarmingly higher than in 2019,” the authors wrote within the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, which published Thursday.
Greater than 2,200 adolescents overdosed in the course of the 2½ yr period, 96% of whom were teenagers ages 15 to 19. Fentanyl was involved in 84% of the deaths while opioids of any type were involved in 91%.
Fentanyl deaths amongst adolescents nearly quadrupled from 21 in July 2019 to a peak of 78 in May 2021 after which declined to 44 in December 2021.
About 70% of the victims were boys and 30% were girls. Some 60% of those that died were white, 21% were Hispanic and 13% were Black.
Fentanyl is an artificial opioid that is as much as 100 times stronger than morphine, in response to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. It’s used as a prescription drug within the U.S. to treat people affected by severe pain after surgery. But illegally manufactured fentanyl, often consumed as a pill, has develop into an increasingly common reason behind overdose deaths.
There was evidence that 25% of adolescent overdose deaths could have involved counterfeit pills that always resemble OxyContin or Xanax but steadily include fentanyl as well. This is probably going an underestimate because pills present on the scenes weren’t all the time tested, in response to the study.
“Whether adolescents intended to take legitimate pharmaceutical medications or were aware pills were counterfeit is unclear,” the authors wrote.
About 41% of those that overdosed had a previous history mental health issues. Some 24% had mental health treatment before, 19% were diagnosed with depression, and 15% had a previous history of suicidal or self-harm behavior.
The authors of the CDC study said its crucial to teach teenagers on the risks of fentanyl and to expand access to naloxone, a drug that may reverse an overdose. Teens also needs to be educated in regards to the potential presence of illicit fentanyl in pills that will resemble prescribed drugs.
Should you are having suicidal thoughts or are in distress, contact the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 for support and assistance from a trained counselor.
