The Conversation graph, from CDC data |
Which drug is most involved in teen overdose deaths? Fentanyl. "For teens, 84% of fatal overdoses involved fentanyl, and 56% of all overdoses involved only fentanyl," Schepis explains. "Many adolescents accidentally take fentanyl when they ingest counterfeit pills that they believe are prescription opioids or stimulants, or other illicit drugs that are laced with the drug. . . .In 67% of adolescent overdose deaths, a bystander was present who could have intervened. Naloxone was administered in less than half of cases where a bystander was present."
Is there a common thread among adolescent overdose deaths? Schepis reports, "Little or no prior drug use. Only 1 in 10 teens and tweens who died from a drug overdose had a history of treatment for a substance use problem, and only 1 in 7 had ever experienced a prior nonfatal overdose. . . . This pattern underscores the importance that all parents proactively talk with their children about substance use by the time they are 12 years old."
What can parents and extended family do to help change this pattern? "Having naloxone available can also be important. It prevents fentanyl and other opioids from causing an overdose by blocking access to opioid receptors in the brain," Schepis writes. "Think of naloxone like car insurance: You don’t want to use it, but it’s important to have in case something goes wrong. . . . There’s also a strong link between mental health conditions and drug overdoses among adults. . . . I recommend that all adults – whether caregivers or other people in an adolescent’s life – check in on their mental health regularly and recommend or seek treatment for any concerns as early as possible."
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