Teen overdose deaths are rapidly rising — but not because more of them are using drugs

teenage death rate increase

CNN Reports:

(CNN)Teen overdose deaths have been rapidly rising, even as their drug use hits a low, according to a study released Tuesday.

“This is not coming from more teens using drugs. It’s actually coming from drug use becoming more dangerous,” said study author Joseph Friedman, a researcher studying medicine and medical informatics at the University of California, Los Angeles.
Adolescent overdose deaths in the United States more than doubled from 2010 to 2021, jumping from 518 to 1,146 deaths annually, according the study, which published…