How Clinicians Caring for Youth Can Address the Opioid-Related Overdose Crisis

Considerable attention in the U.S. and abroad has been paid to the dramatic rise in opioid-related overdoses that has occurred since the turn of the century. Adolescents and young adults have not been spared the enormous morbidity and mortality of this crisis. Adolescent overdoses from prescription opioids, heroin, and fentanyl rose 95%, 405%, and 2,925%, respectively, from 1999 to 2016, and young adults have among the most rapidly increasing overdose mortality rates in comparison to all other age groups [1,2].
Source: Journal of Adolescent Health - Category: Child Development Authors: Tags: Commentary Source Type: research