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Teen Drug-Involved Deaths Spiking, Despite Use Rates Remaining Historically Low
The drug overdose death rate for young people between the ages of 14 and 18 doubled between 2019 and 2020, and then increased another 20% in the first half of 2021, according to new data from the Drug Policy Alliance.
The findings were published this week in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Notably, while drug use among teens is becoming more fatal, overall it is not becoming more common, as overall teen drug use rates remain at an all-time low. Researchers said that the elevated death rate could be the result of increasingly adulterated drug supplies. The increase in teen drug overdose deaths was almost entirely attributed to illicit fentanyl and its analogs mixed into drugs, including counterfeit pills.
“Now more than ever, teens need reality-based drug education that teaches them how to keep themselves and others safe–when and should they encounter drugs–including access to harm reduction interventions such as naloxone, the opioid overdose reversal medication, and drug checking, which allows people to know if there is fentanyl in the drug supply,” Sheila Vakharia, PhD, Drug Policy Alliance deputy director, said in a news release.
The study also showed significant racial disparities in youth overdose death rates. Among Indigenous youth, the rate increased by 50% from 2020 to 2021. Among Latinx youth, the rate climbed 30% over the same period.
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