Child Overdoses Have Doubled Since 2004
Kids overdosing on opioids and other narcotic medications is definitely not a new phenomenon. It’s been happening for years and it’s a stark reminder of where our society has evolved to regarding the opioid epidemic. More pills are readily available than ever before, most of which reside unused in family medicine cabinets, just begging to be taken. The opioid overdose numbers are bad enough on their own, with over 42,000 deaths from opioids in 2016. This is a highest-ever statistic and is absolutely horrific to think about. You could sit back and consider that children overdosing on opioids are “secondary” victims of the drug crisis, but I’m a firm believer in protecting our children so, to me, they are the primary victims of careless prescribing practices, combined with the incorrect storing and disposing of unused drugs. Now our children are dying.
In a study published this week in Pediatrics magazine, it was found that the number of children seen and admitted to hospitals for opioid overdoses doubled in contrast to previous statistics. When we speak about children, we are speaking about those between 1 and 17 years old. The researchers leading this study stated that most of these overdoses were a result of children getting into their family’s medication that may have been inappropriately or incorrectly stored in the home. Twenty percent of the overdoses in children the age of 6 was a result of methadone intoxication, strangely enough. Recently, data suggests that kids between the ages of 1 and 5 years old are the most likely children to be admitted to a hospital due to an opioid overdose, which roughly accounts for over a third of the cases seen.
“Children accidentally getting into medications is not a new phenomenon, but this is probably a reflection of the massive amount of drugs—opioid drugs—that are available to children in the community.”
Dr. Jason Kane, associate professor of pediatrics and critical care at Comer Children’s Hospital in Chicago said, “Children accidentally getting into medications is not a new phenomenon, but this is probably a reflection of the massive amount of drugs—opioid drugs—that are available to children in the community.”
It’s true—there is a massive amount of opioids that are available to children in almost every community nationwide and it’s a major reflection on the drug problem, as a whole. There are tons and tons of pills out there and a lot of people, unfortunately, are either abusing them or after they quit taking them, are not storing them appropriately—such as in a locked drawer or cabinet. Children are curious and either intentionally or unintentionally get their hands on them and wind up in a hospital, needing Narcan, so they don’t lose their life.
Children are some of the most common victims of this crisis, aside from the addicts themselves, and we need to do more to protect them. Because if we don’t protect our children, what’s to become of our future? This crisis is outrageous at this point, and frankly, I’m sick of it. I’m sick of having to report news like this but I think it’s vitally important that everyone out there understands the seriousness of our situation right now. Our children are sick. Our children are dying. What are WE going to do about it?
This is OUR responsibility.
