Fentanyl-related deaths amongst children are on the rise in Kansas, officials said Monday.
The State Child Death Review Board released its annual report, revealing what officials said was “a troubling rise in drug-related deaths” among Kansas children aged birth to 17. In 2022, the number of such deaths increased to 16, up from 11 in 2021, highlighting a “significant and alarming trend” associated with fentanyl, according to a news release from the office of Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach.
Overall, the report revealed that Kansas recorded 389 child fatalities in 2022, an increase from 349 in 2021, resulting in an overall child death rate of 56.3 deaths per 100,000 population.
