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301 deaths. 301 names, ages, faces removed. 301 families, communities, homes (or home equivalents) emptied.
In 2023, there were 301 opioid-related overdose deaths in Alameda County. Standing alone, that figure isn’t alarming to those of us reading behind “safe” walls on our expensive devices.
Nothing exposes us to the truth more than cold numbers. This data-driven meta-analysis will show there is far more to concern about the complexities that eventually result in the plague of opioids claiming those 301, and thousands more, lives.
The acceleration of the Alameda County crisis
Those 301 Alameda County lives claimed by opioids in 2023 represent a 60% increase from 2022. Alameda County experienced the worst increase of all Bay Area counties in opioid overdose deaths from 2018-2021; Alameda’s rates tripled over this time while neighboring counties only doubled. By 2024, when national deaths were decreasing, Alameda County kept its sky-high death rates.
There is an apparent inequity within the county. African-Americans’ fatal overdose rates are triple that of the county average, and the homeless comprise 30% of all overdose deaths.
The teen paradox: Less use, more deaths
The focus is on teens, right? That would make sense. After all, teen substance use excluding cannabis is DOWN, compared to the 20.9% of high school juniors in 2002, the 8% figure of 2022 represents major improvement.
Despite this, death rates are not improving. In fact, teen overdose deaths doubled in the eight short months between August 2019 and March 2020. As of 2022, 22 teens were dying WEEKLY from drug overdose in the United States. And overdoses are now the third leading cause of death for the youth, after guns and cars.
Fentanyl changed it all.
Now, over 75% of teen overdose victims’ lives are claimed by fentanyl. There was nearly a 300% INCREASE in fentanyl deaths aged 15-19 from 2018 to 2021.
The problem isn’t necessarily addiction. It’s contamination.
84% of teen overdose deaths are unintentional, and around a quarter of teen overdose deaths involve fake prescriptions. Fatal drugs like fentanyl spread through adult markets due to their potency and make their way to teens by accident. Most teens do not even get hooked onto the drugs that kill them.
Treatment inequality and solutions
Teen treatment right now is almost a scandal. While 42% of adults aged 45+ receive medications for opioid use disorder within three months of diagnosis, only 5% of teens do. Out of every five teens with substance use disorder, only one gets treatment.
Regardless of everything, prevention programs are still a solution. Project Towards No Drug Abuse (Project TND) has shown a 25% reduction in hard drug use. Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) reduces overdose deaths by 70-80%. Endless life-saving rescues by naloxone have been documented by near-death survivors.
It is not that there are no solutions. Ironically, teens are the ones with the least access to drugs. We know what works, and Alameda County cares for its people. The change to prevent teen opioid overdose deaths must originate in expanding access and awareness to the systems proven to save lives.
This article was written as part of a program to educate youth and others about Alameda County’s opioid crisis, prevention and treatment options. The program is funded by the Alameda County Behavioral Health Department and the grant is administered by Three Valleys Community Foundation.
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