College can be an exciting and fun time for many young adults. Being on your own provides a freedom that many are experiencing for the first time. As individuals establish themselves, there are different things to navigate. Social pressures, educational responsibilities, and parental expectations are just a few things adolescents face during their time in college.
One thing that is almost expected during one’s stay at college is experimenting with drugs and alcohol. While alcohol may be the substance used the most during the college experience, it most certainly isn’t the only thing. Many young adults are experimenting with other substances, and this has become increasingly dangerous with fentanyl flooding the United States.
Drug Experimenting by the Numbers
According to the UCL Social Research Institute, by the age of 17:
Engaged in Binge Drinking
Tried Cannabis
Tried Hard Drugs
This research indicates that when individuals are in college, they are in an environment where at least 1 in 10 people have used an illicit substance. So it is very likely that even if you haven’t experimented with drugs before college, you will most likely be faced with the opportunity when you are there.
Fentanyl: A Hidden Danger
People are becoming more aware of the dangers of fentanyl, but this does not always prevent people from taking it. Unlike most drugs, fentanyl isn’t just sold by itself and many people who take it are unaware they are doing so. You see, fentanyl has become a go to fuller for many illegal drug dealers.
Drug traffickers are adding fentanyl to other street drugs to increase their potency and increases their profits. Heroin, methamphetamine, and cocaine have been found to have traces of fentanyl. This trend is making experimenting with drugs increasingly dangerous, especially for adolescents.
Adolescent Fentanyl Risk Persists Amid National Overdose Trends
Recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that overall U.S. drug overdose deaths have dropped significantly — with provisional counts estimating about a 24% decline for the 12-month period ending September 2024 compared to the prior year, marking the lowest total since mid-2020.
That national decline doesn’t mean the adolescent risk has disappeared. Analyses of youth overdose trends show that synthetic opioids — primarily illicit fentanyl — are now involved in the majority of overdose deaths among teens. Studies published in JAMA indicate that fentanyl was identified in over three-quarters of adolescent overdose deaths by 2021, and other research continues to find fentanyl involvement in the vast majority of youth fatalities.
The dramatic rise in fentanyl involvement is linked to the widespread availability of counterfeit pills and illicit drug supplies, meaning many adolescents consume fentanyl unknowingly. Illicit fentanyl is far more potent than most other opioids, so even a single use — intentional or accidental — can be lethal.
In short: while the overall count of overdose deaths is trending down nationally, fentanyl remains the dominant driver of adolescent overdose fatalities, and many teens are exposed without recognizing the true risk.
Tips to Stay Safe
- Refraining from drug use altogether is the best to ensure you are safe from the dangers of fentanyl.
- If you do decide to drink, do not do so in excess. When drunk, you can make poor decisions, which could lead to experimenting with the wrong substance.
- Avoid people who you know use drugs. Sometimes, we give in to peer pressure when stressed or dealing with an emotional situation. If you are around people who use drugs, you might also be more tempted to use them.
- If your friends or roommates are using drugs, try to inform them of the dangers of fentanyl. You may give them information that saves their life. If you see no changes to their use, change the roommate. People using drugs will usually have unethical people in their environment, and you can have consequences by just being in the same environment.
