US: Overdose deaths among 10-18yr olds more than doubled between 2019 and 2021, says study

Washington

According to a new study released Thursday by health authorities, drug overdoses among people aged 10 to 18 more than doubled in the United States between 2019 and 2021. The study further warned of the risks of counterfeit pills that contain fentanyl. 

The average monthly rate of overdose among adolescents also increased by 109 per cent in the duration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said. The biggest problem area was that the number of overdoses involving illegally manufactured fentanyl increased by a whopping 182 per cent. 

Meanwhile, illicit drug use among adolescents registered a downward trend, signalling that the rise in deaths was likely caused by more potent drugs rather than more frequent usage, the study said.

Fentanyl has flooded the American market in the past few years. It is ultra-potent and an addictive synthetic opiate which is easy to produce at low cost in the laboratory.

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The study said that around a quarter of adolescent overdoses happened due to counterfeit pills. These are often sold under the guise of Oxycodone, a painkiller, or Alprazolam, an anxiety drug popularly known by the brand as Xanax. 

Since the pills found at scenes where overdoses occur are not always tested, the numbers in the study are likely much lower than the actual figures.

"The proliferation of counterfeit pills is particularly concerning for adolescents given marketing aimed toward this population and the availability of such pills via social media," the CDC report said.

"Whether adolescents intended to take legitimate pharmaceutical medications or were aware pills were counterfeit is unclear," it said.

As per the report, a total of 1,808 adolescent overdoses happened between July 2019 and December 2021 in 31 American states and Washington DC.

The median rate of deaths per month was 32.5 between July and December 2019. That increased to 68 per month over the same period in 2021.

"Urgent efforts to prevent overdose deaths among adolescents are needed," the CDC warned.

The CDC said that measures to prevent overdoses need to be put in place. Campaigns alerting youngsters to the dangers of counterfeit pills need to be strengthened and adolescents should be made more aware of the existence of tests to detect the presence of fentanyl in them. Young people can also be educated about the antidote naloxone, which can block the effect of opiates and be administered in the event of an overdose.

(With inputs from agencies)

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