Fentanyl Overdose is Now the Leading Cause of Death Among US Adults 18-45

Fentanyl overdoses have surpassed cancer, COVID-19, suicide and car accidents to become the United States’ leading cause of death for adults between the ages of 18 and 45, an analysis of government data reveals.

Almost 79,000 Americans died from fentanyl overdoses in 2020 and 2021, according to the data, which was analyzed by Families Against Fentanyl. By comparison, 53,000 U.S. residents lost their lives to COVID-19 in the same time period.

“This is a national emergency,” says Families Against Fentanyl founder James Rauh. “America’s young adults — thousands of unsuspecting Americans — are being poisoned. It is widely known that illicit fentanyl is driving the massive spike in drug-related deaths. A new approach to this catastrophe is needed.”

What kind of “new approach’ could be taken to address the fentanyl problem?

More about: