Teen deaths from synthetic opioid fentanyl have tripled since the COVID-19 pandemic began

A new study shows that teen deaths from fentanyl overdose have tripled in the two years since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

An analysis of official statistics conducted by researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) found that deaths from synthetic opioids rose to 680 in 2020 and 884 in 2021, compared to 253 drug-related deaths during the year. 2019.

More than double in just one year and more than triple from 2019 to 2021.

Overall, the number of drug overdose deaths in the age group has more than doubled in the second year of the pandemic from 2019.

Fentanyl is at the center of the drug crisis in the United States, which experts say is currently at an “unacceptable” level and should “shock everyone”.

Synthetic opioids are often mixed with other drugs such as heroin, Xanax or cocaine to enhance their euphoric effects. This means that many people overdose without realizing they are using it, and it is often fatal.

Fentanyl is at the center of the drug crisis in the United States as it is regularly mixed with other drugs. This means that most people accidentally overdose without realizing it.

Drug deaths in America soared to a record 100,000 in the first year of the pandemic after quarantine and social distancing rules were implemented.

Opioids such as fentanyl were responsible for more than seven-tenths of these deaths. The superpowered drug first became famous in 2016 after music superstar Prince died from an overdose of fentanyl, and it’s been passed down in families ever since.

U.S. law enforcement warns that taking as little as two milligrams of the drug can lead to an overdose. The first symptoms are usually clammy skin and lethargy.

In some cases, it can even lead to respiratory failure resulting in death.

In the study, published Tuesday in JAMA, researchers warn that the pandemic is a major factor behind the rising death toll.

Lead author and UCLA PhD student Joseph Friedman, along with other researchers, wrote: “The contribution of factors specific to the COVID-19 pandemic, such as suicide (thoughts), mental illness, social isolation, and disruption to the illicit drug market, is indisputable.

Benzodiapezines – drugs used primarily to treat anxiety – were the second leading cause of death from overdose in the age group last year.

The death toll from drugs has doubled in the two years since the start of the pandemic, rising from 71 in 2019 to 152 last year.

Methamphetamines, also known as “metamethamphetamine” or “crystal”, was the third leading cause of death from overdose (112 deaths last year), followed by cocaine (84 deaths) and prescription pain relievers (66 deaths).

Overall, the death rate from drug overdose for 14- to 18-year-olds doubled from 2.36 deaths per 100,000 adolescents to 5.49 deaths per 100,000 adolescents in 2019.

The researchers also found that last year drug overdose deaths were highest among American Indians or Alaska Natives (11.79 per 100,000 population members).

These were followed by Latino (6.98), white (5.36) and black or African American (3.1) groups.

Data were compiled from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention database, which records all deaths in the United States and lists overdose as the leading cause.

Despite official research showing that drug use is declining across the age group, the number of drug-related deaths among adolescents increased during the pandemic.

About 4.6% of the group of eight said they used illicit drugs in 2021, up from 7.7% the previous year.

Among 10th graders, 5.1% applied to use one, compared to 8.6% previously, and among 12th graders, the percentage dropped from 11.4% to 7.2%.

Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, said she had “never” seen such a dramatic decline in drug use among her age group.

Last month, the CDC drug report revealed that overdose deaths in the United States hit an all-time high for the fourth consecutive year.

There are growing calls for action to stop the rise in drug overdose deaths.