Canada needs to tackle escalating opioid use among young people, doctors say

Doctors are calling on provinces to bolster addiction treatment services in response to growing opioid use among young people, a crisis they fear will escalate for decades to come if immediate action is not taken.

In a Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ) editorial published Monday, physicians Shannon Charlebois and Shawn Kelly say the escalation of opioid use among youth is being overlooked. Existing addiction services, they say, are also inadequate to meet the needs of young people with opioid use disorder, or OUD.