In the United States, drug overdoses among people aged 10 to 18 more than doubled between 2019 and 2021, according to a new study issued Thursday by health authorities. The study also highlighted the dangers of fentanyl-containing fake medications.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the average monthly rate of overdose among teenagers jumped by 110,000% over the same period. The frequency of overdoses utilising fentanyl produced illegally surged by a startling 182 percent, which was the biggest issue.
According to the study, adolescent illicit drug use showed a declining trend, indicating that more potent drugs rather than more frequent use were probably to blame for the surge in fatalities.
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.
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.
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