Data shows fentanyl addiction is the leading cause of death among Americans aged 18 to 49

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Experts have warned that fentanyl is now the number one cause of overdose deaths in the United States, surpassing heroin by a shocking margin.

Data shows that 81,230 drug overdose deaths occurred from May 2019 to May 2020, the largest number of drug overdoses for a 12-month interval ever recorded in the country.

Fentanyl is a strong synthetic opioid that has been used in medical settings since 1968. The drug is commonly used during surgery and for pain management.

Two salt-sized grains of fentanyl can kill you. In 2021, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) issued a Public Safety Alert on the prevailing drug trafficking of fentanyl via fentanyl-laced, fake prescription pills.

Research has found that most offenders in the system have histories of substance abuse, mental illness or emotional disorders. This makes them highly susceptible to fentanyl addiction.

Fentanyl is the leading cause of death for Americans ages 18 to 49. At least 150 people die each day from overdoses due to synthetic opioids like fentanyl. An estimated 55,000 deaths are recorded yearly.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), drug overdose deaths in America increased by 28.5 percent between April 2020 and April 2021. Three out of four overdose deaths involved synthetic opioids.

Fentanyl is available in two main forms: powder and liquid. Powdered fentanyl can be disguised so it looks like other drugs. It is usually pressed into pills that resemble prescription pills, such as Xanax.

Drugs made from powdered fentanyl are brightly colored like chalk and candy, which could make them more attractive to children and young people.

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Experts warn parents to be aware of fentanyl disguised as other drugs and to keep it away from children. Drug users often don't know when their heroin also contains fentanyl. When they inject their usual quantity of heroin, they can unknowingly take a deadly dose of the drug.

Parents grieve young children lost to fentanyl addiction

According to reports, at least one dozen students from three schools in the Carrollton-Farmers Branch Independent School District (CFB) in Texas had overdosed on fentanyl from September 2022 to March 2023.

Jose Alberto Perez, a 14-year-old who passed away in January, was one of three students who died. The night before Jose overdosed on fentanyl, he begged his mother not to take him to the hospital because he "was not a drug addict."

Lilia Astudillo, Jose's mother, said that her son's lips were ash white and that his pupils were "popping out." Despite the boy's clear distress, Astudillo listened to Jose's wishes.

While she planned to get her son medical attention the next day, he was dead by morning. (Related: DEA: Fentanyl-laced fake prescription pills now contain potentially LETHAL dose of synthetic opioid.)

According to a December report from the CDC, median monthly overdose deaths involving fentanyl for people ages 10 to 19 went up to 182 percent from July to December 2019 compared to the same period in 2021.

Over 2,200 teenagers have fatally overdosed from July 2019 to December 2021. Fentanyl was involved in at least 84 percent of the deaths, revealed the report.

Teen fentanyl overdoses have been reported in communities all over the U.S., from Arlington, Virginia, to Portland, Oregon. In the Los Angeles School district, at least seven teenagers have overdosed in one month in 2022 after taking pills that experts suspect are laced with fentanyl.

The overdoses reported in the CFB Independent School district were connected to three people, according to a federal complaint. All of them lived a few blocks from the school.

The three suspects had been charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance.

Fentanyl addiction and overdose in teenagers linked to mental health issues

Khloe, Carmin Williams' daughter, was introduced and became addicted to fentanyl last spring. Khloe was 12 and attending Bea Salazer in the CFB school district.

Williams reported that Khloe, who is now 13, had been transferred to the school that Jose also attended due to behavioral issues. Khloe had issues with anxiety and depression.

According to Williams, someone at Khloe's school offered her a pill, saying that "if you’re depressed or if you’re going through something, this will pick you up." This is how dealers are getting kids addicted to the drug.

Dr. Scott Hadland, an addiction specialist at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, said this is a common issue. He added that fentanyl use among the teen population started before and worsened during the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The period of social isolation negatively affected mental health in young people, with some looking for ways to self-medicate with drugs that are not prescribed to them.

The drugs young people use are often counterfeit.

According to the CDC’s 2021 Youth Risk Behavior Survey, over 40 percent of children said they felt so "sad or hopeless" within the past year that they were unable to take part in regular activities like schoolwork or sports. Girls were more likely to report such feelings.

Another CDC report revealed that 41 percent of teenagers who died of an overdose showed evidence of mental health conditions or treatment.

Some Carrollton parents shared that their anger was made worse by the lackluster response from the school district.

Astudillo explained that she tried asking the school for help for her son several times before he and the other students overdosed. However, the school did not take action.

Signs of fentanyl addiction and overdose

Fentanyl is a very potent and addictive synthetic opiate that can be deadly even if you take a very small dose. The drug has affected adult populations for nearly a decade.

Signs of fentanyl addiction include:

Constipation, nausea and vomiting

Continued use despite negative consequences

Dizziness

Drowsiness, fatigue, or dozing off randomly

Inability to fulfill responsibilities

Intense cravings for fentanyl

Moodiness

Money issues after purchasing expensive street drugs

Slurred speech and incoordination

Swollen hands and feet

Overdosing on a prescription to get the desired effect

Withdrawal symptoms

Signs of opioid overdose include:

Choking or gurgling sounds

Falling asleep or losing consciousness

Limp body

Small, constricted "pinpoint pupils"

Slow, weak, or no breathing

Cold or clammy skin

Discolored skin, especially on someone's lips and nails

If you or someone you love has an alcohol, drug or other substance abuse problem, call the helpline of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration at 1-800-662-HELP (1-800-662-4357).

Go to Opioids.news for more information about addictive opioids.

Watch the video below as Alex Jones exposes new casualties of the fentanyl crisis in the United States.

This video is from the InfoWars channel on Brighteon.com.