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Did you know there is an undeniable rise in the United States of non-fatal drug overdoses of children under 15? While deadly drug overdoses are infrequent in this age group, between 2016 and 2019, non-fatal overdoses were sharply on the rise. According to the study published in the journal Pediatrics, the rise is well beyond children’s access to the medicine cabinet. Indeed, the rise appears to be driven by stimulants such as cocaine, amphetamines such as crystal meth and party drugs such as ecstasy. The question is how are kids getting their hands on these highly illegal and often expensive illegal drugs?

As a premier provider of youth recovery services in Southern California, Tarzana Treatment Centers (TTC) sees too many young people in crisis every year. From experience, it is likely that this negative trend of non-fatal drug overdoses did not stop during the COVID-19 pandemic. Indeed, if the statistics hold steady, it is a splash of cold water in the face of every parent nationwide. Since drug overdoses are on the rise during the pandemic, then it makes sense that this scary new trend of non-fatal drug overdoses by children continues as well.

Non-Fatal Drug Overdoses and Emergency Room Data

A deeper look into the available emergency room data by researchers reveals powerful insight.

Part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), researchers from the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control analyzed nearly 90 million emergency room visits for youth up to between April 2016 and September 2019. Broken down by age groups, the study looks at children from birth to 10 years old and youth aged 11 to 14. Although the study includes teens and young adults aged 15 to 24, that data is not a part of this specific part of the study.

In both age groups (birth to 10 and 11 to 14) stimulant-associated overdoses rose. Intriguingly, in the adult population, the authors note a parallel rise in stimulant use. From TTC’s perspective, the rise in adult stimulant use also means the rise in stimulant use by parents. If parents are using stimulants, then the drugs are in the home and sometimes accessible to children. After all, whatever mommy and daddy are doing, kids tend to want to do as well. From a scientific perspective, imitation and learning exist side-by-side.

Lead author Douglas Roehler, an epidemiologist at the CDC, explains: “Although further research is needed to both indicate if these patterns are continuing and to identify the specific drugs driving the increases, our results suggest that targeted interventions, even with young children… may be warranted to prevent overdoses requiring medical treatment… Despite the rarity of these suspected overdoses and given the age of these patients and the likely unintentional nature in many of these cases, efforts to halt these increasing trends are important.”

Diving into the Data on Non-Fatal Drug Overdoses of Children

When you dive into the data of non-fatal drug overdoses, what you find is surprising. Among children from birth to 10 years old, researchers find an average of 22.3 drug overdoses per 10,000 emergency room visits. The rate for youth aged 11 to 14 years old almost doubles that number. Incredibly, there are 43.2 overdoses per 10,000 visits for youth ages 11 to 14. Given this data, parents need to take proactive actions to lower the risk.

For example, lock medicine cabinets and dispose of pain medications after they are no longer needed. Such disposal is essential, but it goes against the instincts of many parents. Unfortunately, the first instinct is to keep the medication in case it is needed in the future. However, medication prescribed for one condition should not be used to treat another. Indeed, a new prescription is necessary when a new problem arises.

Another key step for parents to take is to talk to children about the dangers of non-fatal drug overdoses. If you believe your child is playing with drugs, find out the mechanics of what happened. If you have illegal drugs in your home, get rid of them immediately. When a person becomes a parent, the freedom to experiment with illegal drugs is null and void. Indeed, given the rise in non-fatal drug overdoses of children, you cannot afford to take such chances.