‘Shocking’ data shows more treatment needed for youth with opioid use disorder: doctors

TORONTO — An editorial published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal on Monday says more youth are using opioids and calls for urgent action to provide treatment when they become addicted.

"The scary thing is that we know that earlier onset of use is associated with more severe presentations and more likely progression to addiction or severe opioid use disorder," said co-author Dr. Shawn Kelly, a pediatrician specializing in treating addiction in Ottawa.

Kelly and co-author Dr. Shannon Charlebois, medical editor of the CMAJ, cited data from the Ontario Student Drug Use and Health Survey, which found a dramatic rise in students using prescription painkillers for non-medical reasons — increasing from 12.7 per cent in 2021 to 21.8 per cent in 2023.

That survey also said students in