A study by a nonprofit health policy organization has revealed that the rate of Tennessee youth who die of drug overdoses has more than doubled over the past decade.
According to the Knoxville News Sentinel, the report was released Thursday by Trust for America's Health and found seven of every 100,000 Tennesseans between the ages of 12 to 25 die of drug overdoses -- slightly less than the national average of 7.3 per 100,000.
Organization director Jeffrey Levi said the increase in youth drug overdose death nationwide was largely because of increases in the misuse of prescription drugs and the related increase in heroin use by 18-to-25-year-olds over the past decade.
Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services spokesman Douglas Varney said Tennesseans can find treatment resources by calling the state's Redline, 1-800-889-9789.
