Rate Of Teens And Kids Victimized By Opioid Abuse Doubled, Says US Research

The total rate of hospitalizations for drug opioid poisoning in teens and children has increased two times, according to a U.S. research. The study found out that from 1997 up to 2012, the number of teens and kids hospitalized due to opioid poisoning increased by 165 percent. Teens aged between 15 and 19 were the most affected of the incident.

For the research, researchers from Yale School of Medicine studied records of hospital discharge for teens and kids from 1997 up to 2012, finding 13, 052 incidents of teens or kids confined to hospitals due to opioid poisoning. The records also showed that teenagers aged 15 - 19 were opioid poisoned because of heroin.

For kids with age ranging from 1 up to 19, hospitalizations of opioid poisoning went off by 165 percent or 1.40 to 3.71 for every 100,000 kids in the time frame studied, as of the research, National Trends in Hospitalizations for Opioid Poisonings Among Children and Adolescents, 1997 to 2012, posted on JAMA Pediatrics last Oct. 31. For juveniles, between 15 and 19, the rate of opioid-abused hospitalizations increased up to 176 percent or 3.69 up to 10.17 for every 100,000 kids, while a rise of 205 percent or 0.86 to 2.62 for every 100,000 kids for kids ages between 1 and 4.

Furthermore, the research discovered that teenagers ages between 15 and 19 heroin-poisoning hospitalizations increased by 161 percent or 0.96 up to 2.51 for every 100,000 kids, while methadone-poisoning hospitalizations ascended by 950 percent or 0.10 up to 1.05 for every 100,000 kids. Across the research period, 176 kids or 1.3 percent passed away during hospitalization.

Researchers identified three various causes for all these hikes. For teens, the incident was attributed to self-inflicted injury or suicide attempt and drug abuse. For kids, the incident was linked to accidental intent.

Prescription opioids are powerful pain-reducing medications that include prescription oxycodone, hydrocodone, and morphine, among others, the U.S. FDA says. The medications can help deal with pain when prescribed for the proper condition and when used correctly, the department added.

enters for Disease Control and Prevention reported that in 2014, a lot of people died due to drug abuse. The majority of drug abuse deaths involved an opioid, the report added. This research just shows how dangerous opioids are for U.S. netizens.