Adult deaths and drug poisonings have captured most media attention, and there has been a lack of data on fatal overdoses in pediatric populations and nonfatal fentanyl overdose in general. However, new research published in the American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse discovered more than 3,000 nonfatal fentanyl poisoning cases in children from 2015 to 2023, with over one-third accidental (or unintentional). The number of recorded exposures increased by 1,194 percent from 2015 to 2023. Nonfatal pediatric exposures not only increased but also are becoming more severe. In 2023, for example, nearly half (44.6 percent) of incidents were life-threatening, up from 15.9 percent in 2015.

This new research also found that most younger patients aged 0 to 12 were exposed unintentionally (81.7 percent). In contrast, among those ages 13 to 19 years, nearly two-thirds (65.7 percent) were exposed intentionally, but for nonmedical purposes.

The fentanyl misuse landscape is shifting, with counterfeit prescription pills (pills made to resemble other drugs like Xanax but which contain illicit fentanyl) comprising almost half (49 percent) of seized fentanyl in the U.S. in 2023. This is alarming because younger individuals are particularly more likely to experience fatal overdoses linked to pills or even patches.

There is a paucity of information, however, regarding the extent to which fatal pediatric poisonings have resulted from illicitly manufactured fentanyl vs. prescribed fentanyl (e.g., prescribed to a child’s caregiver) and whether the use was intentional or unintentional.

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) reports that 5 of every 10 of the counterfeit pills they seize contain a potentially deadly amount of fentanyl. Counterfeit pills can be pressed to resemble common drugs like alprazolam or........

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