Alarming Rise in Fentanyl Poisoning Among US Children Revealed

A new study analyzing eight years of data has revealed a sharp uptick in fentanyl poisoning among children in the U.S. The research, published in The American Journal of Drug And Alcohol Abuse, found that more than 3,000 non-fatal fentanyl poisoning cases were reported in children between 2015 and 2023, with over one third being accidental. And the number of recorded exposures increased from 69 in 2015 to 893 in 2023—a 1,194 percent increase over the study period. Originally developed for severe pain management, the synthetic opioid fentanyl is up to 100 times more potent than morphine. Unlike other opioids, which require higher doses to be legal, just two milligrams of fentanyl—an amount smaller than a grain of salt—can be deadly.

The study, which analyzed nonfatal fentanyl exposures in children aged 0–19 reported to U.S. poison centers across 49 states from 2015 to 2023, showed the number of severe incidents is on the rise. In 2023 for example, 44.6 percent of the incidents were life-threatening, up from 15.9 percent in 2015, indicating a growing severity of cases. The research also found that most patients aged 0–12 were exposed unintentionally (81.7 percent), while 65.7 percent of those aged 13–19 used fentanyl intentionally for nonmedical purposes. The majority of cases (58.9 percent) involved young people aged 13–19, while 41.1 percent involved children aged 0–12. Dr. Joseph Palamar, lead author from NYU Grossman School of Medicine, said the urgent need for increased prevention, treatment and harm reduction is more critical than ever to protect children during the opioid crisis. For him, this starts in the home. "Parents need to be aware that teens can purchase pills via apps that are sold as Adderall or Xanax but actually contain fentanyl," Palamar said in a statement. "Parents and others, too, need to be careful to not leave fentanyl, whether licit or illicit, out in the open around unsupervised children." Dr. David Deyhimy, medical director at Mymatclinic, told Newsweek that fentanyl is dangerous due to its speed of onset and potency. "It rapidly crosses the blood-brain barrier and binds opioid mu receptors, causing sedation, analgesia, respiratory depression and apnea. Respiratory depression and apnea lead to inadequate oxygen in the blood, which can rapidly result in organ damage and death," he said. Accidental exposure to children is all too common. Young children may mistake fentanyl-laced pills or powder for candy or medicine and swallow them. Even second-hand exposure to fentanyl paraphernalia can be lethal and used fentanyl patches pose significant risks to children. If someone suspects a child has been exposed to fentanyl, parents should be aware of the signs and symptoms of an opioid overdose. They include "decreased or absent consciousness, shallow or absent breathing [and] pinpoint pupils," Deyhimy said. Other signs may include blue lips or fingertips, pale or clammy skin and slow heart rate or low blood pressure, he added. "Having naloxone available can reverse the potential overdose from opioids. Bystanders are present in about 40 percent of illicit opioid-related deaths so it is essential for bystanders to be able to respond," said paper co-author Dr. Joshua Black, Senior Scientist at Rocky Mountain Poison & Drug Safety, a Division of Denver Health and Hospital Authority in a statement. Limitations of the research, includes that the data source used only captures a portion of fentanyl-related poisonings. "There is a lack of systematic collection of data on nonfatal exposures and a major limitation is that most people who are exposed or overdose do not contact poison centers," the authors reported. Do you have a tip on a health story that Newsweek should be covering? Do you have a question about fentanyl? Let us know via science@newsweek.com.

Reference

Palamar, J. J., Cottler, L. B., & Black, J. C. (2025). Nonfatal pediatric fentanyl exposures reported to US poison centers, 2015–2023. The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse. https://doi.org/10.1080/00952990.2025.2457481