According to a new federal report, the rate of opioid drug overdose deaths, among teens, has hit an all-time high and has taken a turn for the worse.

A 15-percent rise in deaths for teens ages 15-19 for males, but it was even higher for females of the same age group. The U.S. CDC report states that a 35-percent rise in deaths for girls ages 15-19-percent from 2013-2015.

A study from the CDC's National Center for Health Statistics looked at drug overdose deaths among these same teens and showed that heroine was the most common cause of fatal opioid overdoses.

Dr. Sharon Levy, director of the Adolescent Substance Abuse Program and associate professor of pediatrics at Harvard medical School said the findings of the report are disheartening but not surprising.

What is the solution to this problem?

Dr. Levy said that there needs to be more access to meth-like drugs that can help young people wean themselves off of the addictive opioids.

Drug companies are under a great amount of pressure, from different angles, to come up with solutions to the problem.

One way that they may be able to do that is by limiting the number and strength of opioid drugs prescribed to many using the drugs for the first time.

Is this a big problem in Maine? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below.

 

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