Half of 8th Graders Underestimate Fentanyl Risk Despite Its Lethal Toll

A July survey shows only 48% of U.S. 13- and 14-year-olds view fentanyl use as a great health risk, even though the drug drives most teen deaths.

A recent July poll of 3,820 U.S. students in grades 8, 10 and 12, published in JAMA Network Open, revealed that just 48% of 13- and 14-year-olds consider a single or double use of fentanyl a great health danger. Over one-sixth of respondents could not identify the drug, and many rated it as only a slight or moderate risk. Despite this perception gap, fentanyl was linked to 75% of adolescent overdose deaths, equating to about 21 fatalities each week in 2023—comparable to an entire high-school class.

In New York, opioid deaths fell slightly in 2023 but still claimed 5,300 lives, with fentanyl present in 93% of those cases. Awareness rose among older students, with 64% of 10th graders and 69% of seniors recognizing the great risk. The study also noted racial and geographic disparities: white students were most likely to see fentanyl as dangerous, while Hispanic, Black and urban students were more likely to be unfamiliar with it. Parental education influenced knowledge, as children of college-educated parents were more likely to admit they did not know the drug.