Hospital admissions for opioid poisoning among young Danes more than double in five years

The number of Danish youth aged 15 to 24 hospitalized for opioid poisoning has surged from 108 cases in 2020 to 266 in 2025, according to new figures released Tuesday by the Danish Health Authority.

Jonas Egebart, director of the authority, called the trend “deeply concerning,” emphasizing that opioids rank among the most dangerous substances in Denmark. “We fear young people are unaware of the risks,” he said.

In response, the Health Authority has launched a national campaign targeting 13- to 20-year-olds, featuring two short films to be distributed across social media platforms including Snapchat, YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook over the coming years.

Birgitte Thylstrup, a senior researcher at Aarhus University’s Center for Drug Research, noted that opioids carry extreme risks of rapid addiction—sometimes within weeks—and fatal overdose. Even non-lethal overdoses can cause permanent damage to the brain and organs.

While the spike in hospitalizations could reflect increased help-seeking behavior, Thylstrup warned it may also signal a broader rise in opioid use among youth. “We must confront the possibility that too many young people are still using these drugs,” she said.

Newly appointed Health Minister Ida Auken (Social Democrats) called opioid misuse a government priority, citing plans for a dedicated task force to strengthen healthcare system expertise. Previous campaigns had focused on parents, but Auken stressed the urgency of direct outreach to youth. “This substance is terrifyingly dangerous,” she said.