InnerAct Alliance has received new information from our prevention partners at Drug Free America citing a recent article in The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) which reports increased exposure of young children to illicit fentanyl in the United States. Over the past 11 years, cases of illicit fentanyl poisonings of children under the age of six have surged by over 10,000 percent, totaling 1,466 recorded cases, according to the NEJM article published on March 6, 2024. In 2023, only five cases were reported to the U.S. poison control centers, whereas last year saw an alarming spike to 539 cases.
While the overall case numbers are low in the under 6 age group compared to the number of fentanyl poisonings in teens and adults, this surge is disturbing and the impact is substantial. Many of the children experienced severe effects including central nervous system depression (63.2 percent), respiratory depression/arrest (49.6 percent), and received the overdose reversal medication naloxone (62.5 percent). Heartbreakingly, 142 children needed CPR and 51 children died.
Response to the overdose crisis is mainly focused on adults however given that overdose ranks among the leading causes of death, it is crucial to address risks to young children. Analysis of these cases revealed that 82 percent of these children were exposed to fentanyl at home - the majority (84.4 percent) were toddlers aged two years or younger.
Given the inherent curiosity of toddlers to explore and ingest objects, it is imperative that parents and caregivers comprehend the deadly nature of drugs today. Tragic stories in the news underscore the urgency of this issue - earlier this month, an 8-year-old Kentucky boy lost his life after treatment at the emergency room for an alleged allergic reaction to strawberries that turned out to actually be a fentanyl overdose traced to his stepfather's involvement in trafficking of fentanyl.
InnerAct Alliance is committed to keeping our community informed with evidence-based programs to prevent substance abuse and promote healthy choices. Our agency is partnering with the DEA to share their One Pill Can Kill public safety awareness campaign with messaging on local radio, tv, billboards, and social media communicating that the only safe medications are those prescribed by medical professionals and dispensed by licensed pharmacists. You can view a copy of our public safety spot in one of our recent blog posts (see below).
Talking about the dangers of fentanyl and supporting youth not to use illegal drugs is the best prevention. Even if you believe your child would never touch a drug of any kind, talk with them about the dangers of experimentation. Knowledge saves lives!
IAA Public Safety Spot: One Pill Can Kill
https://inneractblogtownhallmeeting.blogspot.com/2024/04/iaa-public-safety-awareness-ad-fentanyl.html
Resources & Information
The New England Journal of Medicine
https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMc2313270)
No comments:
Post a Comment