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The main point: U.S. overdose deaths among young people are declining rapidly — overdoses among people under 35 fell from more than 31,000 in 2021 to 16,690 in 2024.
Backstory: Over the past decade, overdoses among young people surged, killing more than 230,000 people under 35.
- The number grew as fentanyl spread. Fentanyl deaths nearly quadrupled among people 15-24 from 2018 through 2022 and then plateaued at 1,500-2,000 fatal overdoses a year.
But then: Last year, there were 40% fewer teen fatal overdoses, outpacing the 27% decline in overdoses across all age groups.
The details:
- The decline could be due to wider naloxone distribution, weaker/less deadly fentanyl in the drug supply, more readily available addiction care, and the loss of so many vulnerable young people who have already died.
- Another key factor may be less risky drug and alcohol use among teens and young adults, a pattern that emerged during COVID. The number of teens abstaining from substance use grew to its highest level in 2024.
- Years of devastation caused by fentanyl might mean more teens and young adults are shifting away from opioids.
BUT: Many of the young people most at risk are not just experimenting, but have addiction.
- Programs aimed at reaching young people with addiction ramped up with federal funding from the Biden administration.
- These programs may now be at risk with the Trump administration cutting billions of dollars in funding for grants and agencies that address the fentanyl crisis.
Read more: Drug deaths plummet among young Americans as fentanyl carnage eases
Published
June 2025