Rising Overdose Deaths: Fake Pills Fueling Overdose Epidemic Among Young People

According to a report released on Thursday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the number of individuals who have overdosed and died from taking fraudulent prescription drugs has increased significantly in recent years.
According to the report, those under 35 who believed they were taking oxycodone or Xanax accounted for the majority of those fatalities.
But the medicines were not purchased from a trusted pharmacy; instead, they were obtained via friends, on the street, or in public spaces like classrooms. The fake pills may resemble the actual thing, but they typically contain a range of unidentified substances.
According to Tonja Myles, an addiction specialist and community engagement consultant with the Huntsman Mental Health Foundation in Salt Lake City, people are manipulating medicines and even gummies in ways that appear legitimate.
But frequently they contain lethal doses of fentanyl.
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Share of Overdose Deaths Caused by Fake Pills Doubles

In the period from the middle of 2019 to the end of 2021, the percentage of overdose deaths caused by fake pharmaceuticals increased from 2% to 4.7%, according to a CDC analysis released in conjunction with International Overdose Awareness Day.
The figures are taken from the CDC’s state unintentional drug overdose reporting system, which O’Donnell claimed are undoubtedly underestimated. The approach makes use of data acquired from witness testimony, toxicology results, coroner’s reports, and death certificates.
In 93% of all overdose deaths using phony tablets, illicit fentanyl was found. More than half of the fatalities, or 57.1%, involved people under the age of 35.
The number of drug overdose deaths in the US is at an all-time high. Nearly 107,000 people passed away from drug overdoses in 2021. According to the CDC, initial forecasts place that number at 105,000 for 2022.
The report discovered regional variations in medicine counterfeiting. The West and the South were the two regions where fake oxycodone and Xanax were most frequently discovered.
According to O’Donnell, the rise is most likely the result of an increase in the supply of illegal and fake drugs.
The rise in cases shows how important it is to educate kids about the risks associated with consuming potentially fake medications.
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