Fentanyl, a synthetic opioid prescribed for severe pain and used as an anesthetic in the operating room during surgeries, when abused is 50 times more lethal than heroin.<\/p>\n
Kaminer is Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry and Pediatrics at the UConn School of Medicine and is a researcher for the longstanding Alcohol Research Center, which focuses on advancing addiction research and care. For over five decades, it remains the longest National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded ARC in the nation.<\/p>\n
At UConn, Kaminer has been doing the first studies of their kind investigating fatal drug overdose trends and whether some overdoses are actually intentional acts of suicide in youth and young adults. He even has been co-investigating this public health matter among Connecticut young people with the state\u2019s Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, with Dr. James Gill.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s important that we better address this public health threat,\u201d stresses Kaminer.<\/p>\n The good news is that the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in February reported a 24% national drop in U.S. overdose deaths, most likely related to the growing availability of the over-the-counter lifesaving overdose intervention naloxone.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s good to see the numbers go down nationally, but we really don\u2019t know why it\u2019s happening,” Kaminer says. “Also, more and more new lethal drugs are entering the market. Really bad stuff, or combinations of bad drugs including veterinary sedative medications. Access to naloxone alone is not a solution to this epidemic of overdoses.\u201d<\/p>\n Kaminer points out that fatal overdoses still remain the leading cause of death for Americans ages 18-44, including in Connecticut, where fentanyl overdose is to blame for 80% of death certificates for that age group.<\/p>\n \u201cIn Connecticut, there are now 1,000 fatal overdoses a year,” Kaminer says. “Drugs are killing more people than car crashes, suicide, and homicide, combined.\u201d<\/p>\n He adds, \u201cThis is our number one public health issue in Connecticut. We need a state task force for tackling this public health crisis that is killing our youth, and more budget funding for growing substance abuse services, and also greater training for the future health care workforce.\u201d<\/p>\n Parents should also take greater action now.<\/p>\n \u201cOur kids are precious. We need more parents to take proactive steps to help protect their kids,\u201d Kaminer says. \u201cThe most important prevention tool we have is parents who care, and they are in the greatest position to protect their children.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYouth and teens need to know what you take may kill you, even drugs offered from friends, as they may be fake pills. Don\u2019t take drugs. Prevention is key!\u201d Kaminer says.<\/p>\n He also says there are three groups of kids who are higher risk of experiencing a drug overdose: The highest at risk are those with mental health issues that result in drug use, those who become addicted to opioids like fentanyl and heroin, and those who accidently encounter drugs laced with fentanyl or other deadly drugs or combinations.<\/p>\n The Latest UConn Research![\"Addiction](\"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/kaminer_yifrah-cropped_20190605_kwallace_1418-257x300.jpg\")
UConn Psychiatry\u2019s Drug Overdose Prevention Tips for Parents<\/em><\/strong><\/h4>\n
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\n<\/strong>Most recently, in February in the American Journal on Addictions<\/a>, Kaminer was the lead author on a study investigating fatal overdose and suicide intentionality among young adults with opioid use disorder (OUD) in Connecticut. Kaminer studied 33 patients aged 18-26 with opioid addiction in methadone treatment. Forty-two percent of these patients had a history of a suicide attempt, 78% of which reported more than one intentional overdose. These individuals also had higher depression severity and also started taking opioids at a younger age. He found there was a high prevalence of intentional overdose among young adults, even those enrolled in getting help in clinical services. He found an uptick in fatal overdoses fueled by fentanyl and other synthetic opioids, along with the growing availability of opioids contributing to the increase in youth suicide rates since 2007.<\/p>\n