The growing presence of opioids in Quebec risks increasing this figure, experts fear.

The growing presence of opioids in Quebec risks increasing this figure, experts fear.

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There have always been drugs at school, but in recent years the situation has become more worrying. The substances are more varied, stronger and above all, more sneaky due to contamination with fentanyl and its derivatives. At the same time, access to narcotics, via social networks, is easier than ever. Duty wanted to look into the issue. In this section: fatal overdoses.

The death by overdose of young Mathis, barely 15 years old, last December caused a stir among the Quebec population. But he is not the only minor to have died of an overdose. Since 2013, at least eight other young people under the age of 18 have lost their lives as a result of drug poisoning, including five who had used opioids, but their cases, although just as dramatic, have almost all been ignored. the radar.

In Quebec, the number of fatal overdoses among minors is still very low, but this could change very quickly, fear several stakeholders and specialists. Because in terms of drug addiction, the movements observed in Western Canada are generally observed in Quebec a few years later. And in British Columbia, overdoses have become the leading cause of death among adolescents in recent years, ahead of suicides and car accidents, according to a report by the province's coroners on child deaths released in 2024.

A. was 16 years old. With two friends, the teenager searches through the medications of his mother, who had died of cancer shortly before, and finds around sixty hydromorphone tablets, an opioid five times more powerful than morphine generally known as Dilaudid, which he had been prescribed to relieve pain in palliative care.

Without experience with this type of medication and having read on the Internet that it could give him a feeling of euphoria, A. takes 20 tablets. His friend too. The third has “the common sense” to take only one tablet, writes coroner Jacques Ramsey in his report. Young people also use cannabis. “The party doesn’t last long,” explains the coroner. A. only wants to sleep. The friend who also took medication suffered from nausea and sweating and vomited several times in the early evening and then during the night. This possibly saved his life. »

A. was not so lucky. When one of the friends calls to check on him the next morning, his brother, “who does not yet suspect what he has eaten,” notices that he is snoring. He tries to wake him up, but he mumbles something and goes back to sleep. It was only in the afternoon that the family discovered that A. took 20 opioid pills. “When we go to the young man's bedside again, it is too late. »

At the time, in 2013, the opioid crisis was not on the radar in Quebec. The coroner himself does not use this term, speaking instead of narcotics.

“No one knows the effects of narcotics, so A. is left to sleep, believing that he will wake up in the morning once the effects of the drug have worn off. Unfortunately, medical intervention with naloxone and ventilatory support could have saved the young man's life. »

“Having never taken narcotics before, and therefore not being addicted, young people are particularly vulnerable. There were almost two deaths,” underlines the coroner.

Contaminated MDMA

Almost every year since then, there has been a new death. Young people aged 14 to 17, from different regions of Quebec. Some with known substance abuse problems, others who seem to have no history.

This is the case of G., 16, who lost his life after consuming “three tablets of an illicit drug that he believed to be MDMA” in a festive gathering held at the Palais des congrès de Montréal in 2018. MDMA is a synthetic drug in the amphetamine category, often sold under the name ecstasy or molly.

“The investigation did not reveal the origin of the tablets,” explains coroner Marie-Pierre Charland, who reports that “at least one person walked around the premises where the gathering took place with a poster indicating: MDMA for sale.”

In addition to G., seven other people — including another minor — who participated in this party were transported by ambulance due to convulsions which could be linked to the consumption of these same tablets.

Two deaths in 2021

In 2021, two other adolescents died, one from MDMA poisoning, the other from polyintoxication. The latter had mixed several substances. In his blood, the presence of fentanyl, cocaine and methamphetamine was detected.

In his room, magic mushrooms, ecstasy tablets, methamphetamine, purple heroin and bags containing white and purple powder were found. Analysis reveals that these substances contained etonitazene, a synthetic opioid more powerful than fentanyl. The coroner notes that it was “the first time that etonitazene was detected in Quebec.” Since then, this substance, and its numerous derivatives classified in the category of nitazenes, has caused several deaths in the population.

Reading all these reports, we see that several young people died in their beds. The drug caused a state of drowsiness and they went to bed without asking any questions. Then they fell into respiratory depression without anyone noticing. A. was snoring. S. too. This could have been a signal, indicates coroner Donald Dionne, in the report on the death of S, 16 years old, who fell asleep in a party at a friend's house after using cocaine, benzodiazepines, cannabis and oxycodone. “He snored loudly”, which “suggests that he was in a state of depression of the respiratory center”, wrote the coroner.

Mathis' story

Extreme drowsiness and snoring are recognized signs of an opioid overdose. But do people know that? Little Mathis obviously didn't know that. The coroner has not yet released his report, but Mathis' father, Christian Boivin, has been repeating his story since his tragic death in December 2023, hoping that his son's death is “a wake-up call” that can move things.

“Young people, like Mathis, are not aware. That's the problem, said Mr. Boivin, sighing. He took something, he was feeling bad, he went to bed. He never, ever, ever thought he was going to die from it. »

The 15-year-old told his friend, with whom he was playing Roblox online, that he had taken oxycodone, that his arm felt like mosquitoes were biting him, and that he fell asleep. Nothing else. He didn't vomit, he didn't stagger as can happen when you drink too much alcohol. Nothing. He even bothered to put on his pajamas, brush his teeth and plug in his phone, as if everything was normal. “That's where it's sneaky, it's the reflex to say to yourself: I'm going to bed, and tomorrow, it will be resolved,” maintains Mr. Boivin.

“Having known”

Mathis' parents had frank discussions with him, keeping communication open, while informing him of the risks associated with use. They talked to him about the contaminated substances, sent him articles about it, but their son told them he was no longer taking synthetic drugs and was being careful. The first prevention advice that prevention workers generally give to parents is to maintain dialogue and avoid falling into an overly moralizing tone. That's what Mathis' parents did. But in this case, it will not have been enough.

When his father found him in his bed the next morning, it was already too late. In his wallet, the teenager had four fake oxycodone pills. Analyzes showed that it was isotonitazene, a synthetic opioid more powerful than fentanyl.

“With hindsight, I would have pushed my dialogue with him much more on the symptoms of an overdose, what to watch out for,” confides his father. You know, I would have said more: if you don't feel well, come see me, I won't quibble with you. »

These words: “with hindsight”. And these: “to have known”. They inevitably come back in Mr. Boivin's speech, showing the extent of the dismay of a father, who constantly wonders what he could have done differently to keep his eldest son alive.

And that's a bit why he decided to come out publicly to talk about Mathis' death. To raise awareness among parents, to prevent this from happening to others. “If someone had made as much noise as possible like me a year ago, I would perhaps have acted differently, I would perhaps have had a slightly sharper conscience. I don't understand why we don't hear about it. »

The Western Canadian Wave

Christian Boivin is concerned to see that overdoses have become the leading cause of death among adolescents in British Columbia. Because, according to him, it is only a matter of time before the wave hits Quebec teenagers. “We must not close our eyes,” he said. I don't understand why we're not more afraid of what's coming, it's definitely coming here. »

He is not wrong to worry, if we rely on the analysis of Jean-Sébastien Fallu, professor at the school of psychoeducation at the University of Montreal. “Everything that happens in Western Canada ends up here,” says Mr. Fallu. There are no exceptions. Whether it is the crystal meththe overdose crisis, xylazine, nitazenes, etc., it's always like that. »

If fatal overdoses among young people and in Quebec schools are not a major source of concern for the moment, school principals, prevention workers, but also police officers and public health are recalling the importance of working in consultation, to practice prevention and to stay on the lookout. As Lydia Lefebvre, director of the addiction prevention program at Maison de Jonathan, says: “A trend happens so quickly. »

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