Citation

Hadland SE. J. Adolesc. Health 2019; 65(2): 177-180.

Affiliation

Grayken Center for Addiction, Department of Pediatrics, Boston Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts; Division of General Pediatrics, Department of Pediatrics, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts. Electronic address: scott.hadland@bmc.org.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2019, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.jadohealth.2019.05.008

PMID

31331540

Abstract

Considerable attention in the U.S. and abroad has been paid to the dramatic rise in opioid-related overdoses that has occurred since the turn of the century. Adolescents and young adults have not been spared the enormous morbidity and mortality of this crisis. Adolescent overdoses from prescription opioids, heroin, and fentanyl rose 95%, 405%, and 2,925%, respectively, from 1999 to 2016, and young adults have among the most rapidly increasing overdose mortality rates in comparison to all other age groups [1, 2]. Mirroring these trends, nonfatal overdoses, diagnoses of opioid use disorder (OUD), and new infections with hepatitis C have also reached unprecedented levels among youth [3, 4, 5].

Clinicians of all disciplines who care for adolescents and young adults (collectively, “youth”) have a critical role to play in addressing the overdose crisis. One in three individuals in treatment for OUD report that their first use of opioids occurred before age 18 years, and two in three report that it occurred before age 25 years [6]. Any sustainable solution to the opioid crisis will require much of the youth-focused clinical workforce. This Commentary highlights how clinicians can do their part to address this enormous public health problem ...

Language: en