Young Americans Lost Almost 1.5 Million Years of Life to Opioids Between 2015 and 2019

(Health Day) New research uncovered a disturbing reality about the effects of substance misuse on American young people. According to the study, Unintentional Drug Overdose Mortality in Years of Life Lost Among Adolescents and Young People in the US From 2015 to 2019, young people lost 1.5 million years of life due to opioid misuse. 

They calculated this number by subtracting the age a person dies from their expected lifespan.  

"Adolescents and young adults dying of overdose are deprived of many years of work, community, and family life.  

Our study shows overdose mortality among adolescents and young people is unacceptably high," study co-author Dr. O. Trent Hall said. Read more.