Teen Overdose Deaths Increasing Despite Historically Low Levels Of Drug Use

A concerning new study found that while the number of teenagers and adolescents who admitted to using illegal drugs has declined, the number of those who died from overdose has more than doubled.

A team of researchers analyzed data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Wide-Ranging Online Data for Epidemiologic Research database between January 2010 to June 2021. They found that number of overdose deaths in adolescents spiked from 518 in 2010 to 1,146 in the first half of 2021.

During the same time period, drug use among teenagers and adolescents has fallen to historic lows.

The researchers said the increase in overdose deaths is likely due to fentanyl, which is 50% more potent than heroin. Many teens inadvertently purchase drugs laced with fentanyl because it is cheaper to produce and is more addictive than other opioids.

"This is not coming from more teens using drugs. It's actually coming from drug use becoming more dangerous," study author Joseph Friedman said, according to CNN.

Overall, adolescent overdose deaths make up just one percent of the estimated 105,000 overdose deaths in 2021.

Friedman said that it is imperative for parents and educators to speak with children about the dangers of pills.

"We need to update their understanding so that they know that pills are actually becoming the most dangerous thing," Friedman explained.