Why Are Millennials More Likely to Die in 2016 than in 2014?

If you watch the news on any given night, you’ll hear about the many innovations that are going on across the country. The US is one of the wealthiest countries in the world, but for some reason we can’t keep our youth from dying? For the past two years, the US life expectancy has actually dropped, much of which can be attributed to the high rate of death among millennials. Why are millennials passing away at such an alarming rate? The answer lies in the growing opioid crisis that’s affecting communities across the country, regardless of class, gender or race.

Data that was recently released from the US Centers for Disease Control indicates that 129 of every 100,000 25-34 year olds died in 2016. This is up significantly since the height of the HIV/AIDS epidemic back in 1995. What’s even more alarming is that these death rates are rising extremely quickly. In fact, in just two years, from 2014-2016, the rate that millennials died rose by 19%.

Millennials Are Dying Due to Drug Overdoses

In 2010, only 18 out of every 100,000 Americans aged 25-34 died from some type of drug overdose. In the time period between 2014-2016 alone, that number has spiked to 35. This rise is likely due to massive increased in overdoses due to heroin, non-heroin opioids like Oxycodone, and synthetic prescription opioids such as fentanyl.

Problem Dates Back Decades Due to Overprescribing Opioids

In the 1990s, opioids became extremely popular due to doctors looking to assist patients with their pain management. The problem with this approach to pain management is that many of these patients became addicted to these opioids. As physicians began to cut back on the number of prescriptions that they would write for opioids, patients were forced to look elsewhere and many turned to stronger, and often cheaper alternatives like fentanyl and heroin, which has led to the spike we’ve seen in drug overdose deaths.

Opioid Epidemic Now a Public Health Emergency

In late 2017, President Trump declared the opioid epidemic a public health emergency, which allows more federal funding to be directed to the crisis. It’s still unclear as to how much will be directed to this massive issue, but it’s good news to know that the government is finally starting to address this real problem that is literally killing our young people at alarming rates.

Are You in Need of Help Due to Opioid Addiction?

If you’re struggling with any type of opioid addiction, the numbers above should reassure you that you’re not alone. At Advanced Rapid Detox we work with patients everyday that are struggling with opioid addiction. Our unique, 3-day opiate detox helps you to safely detox from these powerful drugs under the supervision of a licensed medical staff at Pontiac General Hospital. For more information about our drug addiction recovery treatment, feel free to reach out to us today by phone at 800-603-1813 or through our online contact form.