Overdoses in adolescents ages 10 to 18 doubled in the United States between 2019 and 2021, according to a study published Thursday by health authorities, which warned of the danger of counterfeit pills containing fentanyl, a synthetic opioid 50 times more potent than heroin.
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The average monthly rate of teen overdose increased by 109 percent between those years, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) notes. And the number of illegally manufactured fentanyl overdoses has increased by 182 percent.
In general, adolescents used fewer illicit drugs during this period, which which suggests that the increase in deaths is probably due to “stronger drugs”, Add.
Fentanyl, a highly addictive synthetic opioid, is produced cheaply in the laboratory. The one that enters the United States comes mainly from Mexico, where it is produced with precursors from China, according to official US sources.
This drug has flooded the streets of the country. According to the study, about a quarter of teen overdoses are due to counterfeit pills, often called oxycodone (a pain reliever) or alprazolam (an anxiolytic sometimes known as Xanax).
A possibly underestimated percentage. “The proliferation of counterfeit pills that look like prescription drugs but actually contain illegally manufactured fentanyl, and the ease with which they can be purchased on social media have increased the risk of fatal overdose among adolescents,” health authorities warned.
According to them, it is not clear if the adolescents believed they were taking medicines or knew they were counterfeits. Between July 2019 and December 2021, there are records of 1,808 adolescent overdoses in 31 US states and the capital.
The average number of deaths per month was 32.5 between July and December 2019. It rose to 68 per month during the same period in 2021. That is, an increase of 109 percent.
“Urgent efforts are needed” to prevent these deaths, said the CDC, the country’s main public health agency. To do this, they recommend strengthening preventive campaigns and explaining to adolescents that there are tests to detect the presence of fentanyl and an antidote, naloxone, which can block the effect of opioids.
AFP
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