An increase in ‘deaths of despair’ among millennials

A new data brief reports that deaths from drug abuse among millennials has increased by 400% in the past 20 years. The opioid crisis partly explains the increase, but millennials also face other problems, including high living costs. Here’s more on what the report calls “deaths of despair”:

• Drug deaths: The number of deaths among those in their 20s and 30s went up by 108% between 2007 and 2017.
• Alcohol-related deaths: These deaths in those aged 18-34 went up by nearly 70% between 2007 and 2017, and nearly doubled since 1999.
• Suicides: Between 2011 and 2016, suicide was the second leading cause of death among those aged 15-34, and the following year, suicide rates across all ages increased by 4%.