Experts warn about sharp increase in drug-related deaths for young people [Video]

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) – Experts are warning about the sharp increase in drug-related deaths for young people. People ages 15 to 24 had the sharpest increase in drug-related deaths, a report from the Knox County Regional Forensic Center found.

“It’s so scary because it’s only getting worse every single day,” Mckayla Yardley said. She is in recovery for substance use and is a multiple overdose survivor. She is 20 years old now, but she used substances for the first time at 14. As a vulnerable teen, Yardley said peer pressure led to her substance use.

“I definitely didn’t know that I could say no,” Yardley said.

Knox County Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Darinka Mileusnic said this is an alarming new reality, warning the days to experiment are over. Mileusnic said the drug combinations on the market are deadlier than ever.

“This experimentation time is over,” Mileusnic said. “These drugs are …