A new study in the U.S. has revealed that due to higher drug overdoses and poor health, young adults are dying at a higher rate than expected.
Researchers reported in the JAMA Network Open that the rate of early deaths among adults aged 25 to 44 was 70% higher in 2023 compared to pre-2011 levels.
Elizabeth Riggly, an associate professor of sociology at the University of Minnesota, stated that the rate of premature deaths remained higher than expected based on pre-pandemic levels. She added that these deaths had started increasing even before the pandemic, with a 35% higher rate in 2019 compared to what was anticipated.
During the pandemic, deaths among young adults nearly tripled compared to 2019. Although the death rate declined by 2023, premature deaths remained 70% higher than expected.
