Early Death from Drug use
A new study by the University of Pittsburg in the U.S. has found that adolescent illicit drug users die younger.
The study found that substance use disorders (SUD's) in adolescents significantly predicted young adult mortality.
The study of 870 adolescents found that the average age of death from drug use was 25 years with males being two thirds of the mortalities.
The early drug induced deaths were from all socioeconomic backgrounds.
Causes of death in the study were from homicide, suicide, overdose and vehicle accidents.
Effective interventions need to be developed to prevent these predictable deaths according the School of Medicine at the university.
(Source: Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic of the University of Pittsburg)
DRUG ADVISORY COUNCIL COMMENTS-
Early interventions are essential to prevent these drug induced deaths.
Having identified those adolescents that are at risk with substance use disorders it is essential to divert those identified into detoxification and rehabilitation to get them of the drugs they are using.
Courts should be used to direct illicit drug users into detoxification and rehabilitation to get them drug free if necessary to avert the risk of early death.
Early intervention drug rehabilitation has the advantage of avoiding the trauma and costs of dealing with the early drug induced deaths and therefore is money well spent.
THE DRUG ADVISORY COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA SUPPORTS-
More detoxification & rehabilitation that gets illicit drug users drug free.
Court ordered and supervised detoxification & rehabilitation.
Less illicit drug users, drug pushers and drug related crimes.
