Opioids strike again with another alarming news report. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has found that the death rate among “millennials” — defined as adults between the ages of 25 and 34 — rose 19% between 2014 and 2016. And preliminary 2017 data shows little evidence that it’s slowing down.

This means that 129 out of every 100,000 millennials died in 2016 – the highest death rate since the height of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in 1995.

Coverage of the CDC report on the digital news outlet Quartz said “the explanation for the trend is simple: young Americans are overdosing on drugs, particularly opioids,” or more potent, cheaper conveyors of opiates like heroin and fentanyl. The Quartz article went on to break down the increase of deaths based on the following :

• Heroin (3.4 to 4.9 for every 100,000)
• Natural and semisynthetic non-heroin opioids like oxycodone (3.8 to 4.4)
• Synthetic prescription opioids like fentanyl (1.8 to 6.2)

This isn’t the first report to show the significant impact the opioid crisis has had on millennials. For example, one report showed tripled rates of hospital admissions for heroin-related issues in Orange County, CA, between 2010 and 2016. And yet another study revealed that millennials from high-income countries are between three to four times more likely to die due to opioid dependency than they were 20 years ago, according to U.S. News & World Report.

Treating Opiate Addiction
There’s no better time than today to get help for you or someone you love who is struggling with opiate addiction. Seabrook is proud to be on the front line combating the nationwide opioid epidemic and helping our clients to achieve lasting sobriety. To learn more about our multifaceted medical approach to alcohol and other drugs, including opiate detoxification, call us today: 856-455-7575.