Fentanyl-Related Teen Deaths Triple in Three Years

Even as opioid deaths have become a leading cause of death among Americans younger than 50,¹ another horrifying trend is emerging: Teen deaths caused by fentanyl-laced counterfeit drugs.^2,3

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,⁴ 84% of all teen overdose deaths in 2021 were related to fentanyl, an incredibly potent synthetic opioid. It’s 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine. Just 2 milligrams, equal to 10 to 15 grains of table salt, can be lethal.⁵ As reported by USA Today:⁶

“Fentanyl accounted for more than 67,000 preventable deaths in 2021, which represents a 21% increase since 2020, according to the National Safety Council.⁷ More than 5,600 of those deaths occurred in people ages 15 to 24.”

Other data show fentanyl-related adolescent overdose deaths nearly tripled between 2019 and 2021, and a quarter of those deaths involved counterfeit drugs — pills like valium, Xanax or Percocet, often obtained from friends or bought through social media.⁸

While far deadlier than other opioids, fentanyl is much easier and cheaper to manufacture, which is why it’s being used in counterfeits. It’s potency, however, makes it risky. If unevenly distributed, you can easily end up with lethal doses in some pills.

In 2022, 75,000 of the nearly 110,000 overdose deaths were fentanyl-related,⁹ and again, thousands of those were teens. In Hays County, Texas, nearly 40% of fentanyl-related overdoses in 2022 were among people under 18¹⁰ — a statistic attributed in part to the rise in mental health problems among teens during the COVID pandemic.

President Biden’s open border policy has also been identified as a contributing factor, as fentanyl and other illicit drugs are flowing in unimpeded. Insufficient access to mental health care and substance abuse treatment are others.¹¹

We Need to Revive Drug Education

Schools across the country are now struggling with how to best address this new trend. Many do not stock the overdose reversal drug Narcan, which could be helpful, but even more importantly, schools rarely educate kids and teens about the dangers of drugs anymore.

Most educational programs are currently run by families who lost a child or loved one to fentanyl. Examples include Project 1 Life, founded by Avery Kalafatas, an 18-year-old from the Bay Area whose cousin died from a fentanyl overdose after taking what he thought was a Percocet tablet.

“This isn’t like the drug crisis we were dealing with 20 years ago, it’s a completely different ballgame,” Kalafatas told NPR.¹² It’s a different ballgame because students rarely intentionally go looking for fentanyl. They’re seeking out other drugs, and end up taking counterfeits laced with it.

Many also aren’t aware of just how deadly fentanyl can be, and how prevalent counterfeit drugs are. Another group focused on fentanyl education for teens is Song for Charlie, founded by Ed and Mary Ternan, who lost their son, Charlie, to an accidental fentanyl overdose.

“We need to revive drug education in America,” Ed told NPR, adding that the old “just say no” adage doesn’t work on today’s teens. They need fact-based messages, which is what Song for Charlie puts out on social media.

“Rather than focus on ‘Don’t do drugs, they might harm you,’ Song for Charlie’s messaging is: ‘You’re getting ripped off. These dealers advertising on social media do not care. They don’t know you, they’re not your friend, and they are lying to you about what they’re selling you,’” NPR writes.¹³

“That’s what happened to Ternan’s youngest son, Charlie … In May 2020, Charlie was on his college campus in northern California. He was weeks away from graduation, and was prepping for a job interview. He was also in pain. Ternan says his son had recently undergone back surgery.

Charlie purchased what he thought was a Percocet off of Snapchat. It contained fentanyl. ‘He actually took it a couple hours before he was supposed to have a job interview on the phone,’ Ternan says. ‘And so he died very quickly in his room at his frat house waiting for the phone to ring at about four o’clock on a Thursday afternoon.’

After his son’s death, Ternan says most of the information about fentanyl he could find was buried on government websites and in a smattering of news articles.

‘You can put that information in those places for the next 10 years, and Charlie and his friends would never have seen it because that’s not where they are.’ Where they are is on social media.

Ternan says their messages also appeal to teenagers’ strong social bonds. He’s learned that telling teens to warn their friends about fentanyl is more powerful than stoking fear of their own harm.”

Increasing Awareness Can Save Lives

Increasing awareness about the risks of fentanyl and counterfeit drugs could save a lot of lives. According to CDC research,¹⁴ bystanders were present at two-thirds of teen overdose deaths. Had they recognized the warning signs and known how to respond in case of a suspected overdose, they may have been able to save many of those kids.

Having the right tools, such as fentanyl test strips and Narcan (naloxone) in your home or school medical kit is also part of it. Fentanyl test strips can be used to detect the presence of fentanyl in a wide variety of drugs, including pills, powders and injectables — anything that can be dissolved in water. To test for fentanyl:¹⁵

• Place a small amount of the drug in a clean, dry container
• Add a small amount of water and mix
• Place the wavy end of the test strip into the mixture for about 15 seconds
• Remove the strip and place it on a flat surface for two to five minutes
• Read the results: A single pink line means fentanyl has been detected (positive result). Two lines mean no fentanyl has been detected (negative result)

Caution is warranted, however, because counterfeit fentanyl test strips are also in circulation. Never buy them from friends or online. Your best bet is to get them from your local health department, or a trusted community organization, such as addiction recovery programs.