🚭 Drug deaths plummet among young Americans

• Fatal overdoses among 20- to 29-year-olds decreased by 47 percent.
• The number of fatal overdoses among people under 35 years fell from over 31,000 in 2021 to approximately 16,690 in 2024.
• Teenagers between 15-24 years show 40 percent fewer fatal overdoses in the past year compared to previous years.

Dramatic decrease in fentanyl deaths

New data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that the number of drug deaths among American youth is decreasing sharply. Nabarun Dasgupta, researcher at University of North Carolina, reports that the age group 20 to 29 years has reduced their risk of fatal overdose by 47 percent.

Fentanyl and other drugs killed more than 31,000 people under 35 years in the USA in 2021. According to preliminary CDC data, this figure had dropped to approximately 16,690 fatal overdoses last year.

Changes in youth drug habits

Research from University of Michigan shows that the number of teenagers abstaining from drug use reached its highest level in 2024.

The positive trend among younger Americans exceeds the broader opioid recovery in the USA, which saw 27 percent fewer fatal overdoses across all age groups during 2024. The state of Virginia has seen drug overdose deaths decrease by more than 40 percent in a single year. Many other states are experiencing improvements above 30 percent.

Background to the fentanyl crisis

Mexican drug cartels began smuggling large quantities of fentanyl into American communities around 2014. Drugs are often disguised as counterfeit prescription pills resembling OxyContin or Percocet. Over the past decade, drug overdoses among young people killed more than 230,000 people under 35 years.

Factors behind the improvement

Experts point to several possible explanations for the decrease. These include broader distribution of Narcan or naloxone, a trend with weaker and less deadly fentanyl being sold by dealers, more accessible addiction care, and the loss of many vulnerable young people who have already died.

Studies show that the fentanyl being sold by dealers in the USA is less potent and less deadly than it once was. People who survive addiction long enough typically recover according to research.

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