US teen drug overdose deaths have increased by 19% after years of decline

US teen drug overdose deaths have increased by 19% after years of decline

Teen drug overdose deaths in the US have increased by 19%. After years of decline, teen deaths from drug overdoses climbed from 3.1 deaths per 100,000 teens in 2014 to 3.7 in 2015. The rates, released by the National Center for Health Statistics, involve teens ages 15 to 19. Most of the overdose deaths were driven primarily by opioids, including heroin and fentanyl. Aug 17, 2017