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More and more young drug deaths: In August, a 20-year-old died at an illegal rave in Cologne
Photo: Adam Radosavljevic / YAY Images / IMAGO
The number of young drug-related deaths has risen sharply in recent years: in 2021, 131 people under the age of 22 died from drug use.
That is more than twice as many as in 2019. Among the dead were even three children aged up to 13.
This resulted in a request to all federal states of the investigative magazine "STRG_F" of the NDR and funk.
According to research, 59 young people died from drugs in 2019, and 78 in 2020. The reason for the sharp increase in young deaths is unclear.
Across all age groups, 1826 men and women died from drugs in 2020, according to the latest report by the federal government's drug commissioner.
This number has also been increasing for years.
People die primarily from overdoses of heroin and opioid substitution drugs.
"I didn't know this number before"
Even drug commissioner Burkhard Blienert was surprised by the numbers on the young dead: "I didn't know this number before," he said "STRG_F".
Blienert called for a new look at addicts: "Drug use must not remain a taboo in conversation, addicts must no longer be excluded, help must arrive more quickly and directly," said Blienert.
The reason for querying the numbers is »STRG_F« research on illegal rave parties.
After such a rave in a bunker in Cologne, a 20-year-old died in August - apparently from an overdose.
The cause of death has not yet been finally clarified.
Shortly after the death, rumors surfaced that the young man was helped too late because other revelers were reluctant to call 911.
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