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

October 27, 2025

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 grades 7 to 9 were more likely to report using those opioids than older students in grades 10 to 12. Another paper cited in the editorial found that some youth began using opioids when they were as young as 10 years old.

Read more:  https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/article/shocking-data-shows-more-treatment-needed-for-youth-with-opioid-use-disorder-doctors/