Incidence of drug overdose deaths among youths in Kansas quadrupled during the past decade amid growing misuse of prescription drugs and addiction to heroin, a national research report said Thursday.
An analysis by the Trust for America’s Health indicated Kansas ranked 14th lowest in the number of overdose deaths by medication and illegal drugs with a rate of 5.9 deaths per 100,000 people aged 12 to 25. The national rate stood at 7.3. The highest was West Virginia at 12.6, while the lowest was 2.2 in North Dakota.