2% of all children nationwide—had lost a family member to a drug overdose as of 2019, according to a study by researchers at the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences and Pennsylvania State University. The findings, published in the American Journal of Public Health , shed light on the often-overlooked emotional toll of overdose deaths on the youngest and most vulnerable members of society and provide the first concrete data quantifying its impact. Since 2006, opioid-related deaths have been rising faster than those caused by other substances.
In 2019, opioid overdose deaths were 2.4 times more common than non- opioid-related deaths . By 2022, they had become three times more common.
The study uncovered a troubling trend: About 2% of children born in 2009 lost a family member to an overdose by age 10, compared to just over 1% for those born in 2001. "We predict this percentage will climb even higher—possibly reaching 5%—by the time children born in 2009 turn 18," said Emily Smith-Greenaway, dean's professor of sociology and professor of spatial sciences at USC Dornsife. "It's alarming how much younger children are losing loved ones.
" Ashton Verdery, co-author and professor of sociology and social data analytics at Penn State, underscored the concern. "We found that 5-year-olds are now experiencing loss at the same rate as 10-year-olds did 15 years ago," he said. Meanwhile, the researchers noted that the rate of family deaths from other causes has remained s.
