The Facts on Adolescents and Opioids

• 2000-2024: Over 12,800 Opioid Overdose Deaths in Wisconsin
• An Average of 22 Adolescents 14-18 Years of Age Die Each Week in the US. Over 640 youth died of an overdose in Wisconsin between 2016-2023.
• 13 is the average age of first-time drug/alcohol use
• 9 out of 10 addictions start in the “teen years”
• Teens can order drugs via Snapchat and have them delivered anywhere within minutes.
• In the National Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) 20% of High School Students Reported They Can Buy Illicit Drugs on School Property
• Collateral Damage: Over 350,000 Children Have Lost Their Parents to the Opioid Epidemic
• Over 50% of Overdoses Occur from Fentanyl Laced Non-Opioid Drugs That Are Prevalent in Middle/High Schools, they include:
  • THC oil vape pens
  • Stimulants like Adderall and Ritalin
  • Benzodiazepines like Xanax, Valium, Ativan
  • Synthetic opioids like OxyContin, Percocet, Vicodin
  • MDMD (Ecstasy/Molly), Cocaine, Meth
• According to Milwaukee County Medical Examiner’s Office in 2023 There Were 560 Overdose Deaths and 5,568 Opioid Overdoses
• Fentanyl has Become the Leading Cause of Death in American Teens. 94% of all Overdoses in Wisconsin in 2024