As of 2017, there are 2.2 million children and adolescents impacted by the opioid epidemic in the U.S. By 2030, the number of affected children will grow to 3.4 million in the best-case scenario; in the worst-case scenario, numbers are expected to reach at least 5.3 million. This statistic shows the number of children affected by the opioid epidemic in the United States in 2017 and forecasts for 2030, by scenario.
Number of children affected by the opioid epidemic in the United States in 2017 and forecasts for 2030, by scenario*
(in millions)
* Optimistic scenario- The prevalence
of prescription-based OUD and nonprescription opioid use declines at
twice the rate of current trends.
Pessimistic
scenario- Efforts to curb
the epidemic slow.
Included in the 2030 estimates are additional children born to people with OUD in 2017, children of people who will have
developed an OUD between 2018 and 2030, and children who will have developed an OUD between 2018 and 2030.
Individuals do not age out of the predictive model. For example, children in foster care due to parental opioid use who turn 18
before 2030 are still counted in the 2030 estimate because they were affected by the opioid epidemic during childhood.
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United Hospital Fund. (November 12, 2019). Number of children affected by the opioid epidemic in the United States in 2017 and forecasts for 2030, by scenario* (in millions) [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved December 22, 2024, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/1221831/expected-impact-of-opioid-epidemic-on-children-by-scenario-us/
United Hospital Fund. "Number of children affected by the opioid epidemic in the United States in 2017 and forecasts for 2030, by scenario* (in millions)." Chart. November 12, 2019. Statista. Accessed December 22, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1221831/expected-impact-of-opioid-epidemic-on-children-by-scenario-us/
United Hospital Fund. (2019). Number of children affected by the opioid epidemic in the United States in 2017 and forecasts for 2030, by scenario* (in millions). Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: December 22, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1221831/expected-impact-of-opioid-epidemic-on-children-by-scenario-us/
United Hospital Fund. "Number of Children Affected by The Opioid Epidemic in The United States in 2017 and Forecasts for 2030, by Scenario* (in Millions)." Statista, Statista Inc., 12 Nov 2019, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1221831/expected-impact-of-opioid-epidemic-on-children-by-scenario-us/
United Hospital Fund, Number of children affected by the opioid epidemic in the United States in 2017 and forecasts for 2030, by scenario* (in millions) Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1221831/expected-impact-of-opioid-epidemic-on-children-by-scenario-us/ (last visited December 22, 2024)
Number of children affected by the opioid epidemic in the United States in 2017 and forecasts for 2030, by scenario* (in millions) [Graph], United Hospital Fund, November 12, 2019. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1221831/expected-impact-of-opioid-epidemic-on-children-by-scenario-us/
