The Minnesota Department of Health recently released data on suicide and overdose deaths in 2020, and the data overwhelmingly show that young adults and children are more likely to die from either one of these than from COVID-19.
In the age range of 0-24, 98 suicides occurred in 2020, according to MDH data. In the same age category, seven have died in total from COVID-19.
Breaking down the drug overdose data, in 2020, there were four drug overdose deaths for youth aged 14 and under. In the same age category, there have been a total of three deaths from COVID-19.
For 15 to 24-year-olds, data show that there were 121 victims of overdose deaths in 2020. In the same age category, four have died from the coronavirus.
Putting the data together for the 0-24 age range, there have been 98 suicides, 125 overdose deaths, and seven COVID-19 deaths in roughly the past year.
Additionally, adults under age 44 are also more likely to die from suicide or drug overdose than from COVID-19. While there have been 25 deaths from COVID-19 for 25-34-year-olds, there were 274 overdose deaths and about 130 suicides in 2020.
In the 35-44 age range, there have been 67 COVID-19 deaths, 199 overdose deaths, and about 120 suicides.
Overdose deaths increased by 27% overall in Minnesota from 2019-2020, surpassing 800 overdose deaths for the first time in four years. At the height of the pandemic, the month of May last year saw the highest number of overdose deaths, with 105.
Almost every age group saw an increase in overdose deaths by at least 20% from 2019-2020.
Rose Williams
Rose Williams is an assistant editor for Alpha News.
