StarEditorial: We must tailor our harm reduction efforts to the needs of adolescents and young adults, instead of adopting a one-size-fits-all approach.
As the opioid toxicity crisis has intensified, our image of typical drug users has received a makeover. No longer is the picture one of emaciated, strung-out souls wandering back alleys; it now includes suburbanites, upwardly mobile people with good jobs and nice homes.
, deaths from opioid toxicity among Ontarians between 15 and 24 rose dramatically in the last decade. Between 2014 and 2021, overdose deaths tripled, while visits to emergency departments quadrupled.Fentanyl contributed to 94 per cent of the deaths, which shows that no age group is safe from opioid toxicity. But that’s not the most disturbing part., treatment uptake decreased dramatically.
Indeed, because we don’t typically think about kids as drug addicts, they’re often overlooked when it comes to drug treatment: In the year before they lost their lives, little more than one third of young people with a diagnosed opioid use disorder received OAT, compared to nearly half of those between 25 and 44.
Other barriers, including financial challenges, apply to people of all ages but can be particularly acute for young people.
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