Montreal father warns against counterfeit synthetic opioids after death of teen son / Un père met en garde contre des opiacés de synthèse illicites après le décès de son fils adolescent

By Erika Morris and Rowan Kennedy, with comments from Dr. Nicholas Chadi, CBC News, January 6, 2024

A father wants to spread awareness about synthetic opioids sold to teens after he says his son died of an overdose.

Christian Boivin says 15-year-old Mathis was a normal teenager with many friends who loved life, travelling and music. His life was cut short on Dec. 21 when he took a drug known as isotonitazene thinking it was oxycodone, said Boivin.

“For us it was a normal day. We had dinner with him. He went to his bedroom after that to play video games with a friend,” he said.

“In the morning at eight, I was listening to his alarm and went, ‘Mathis, Mathis!’ I entered his bedroom, ‘Mathis! Mathis!’ But it was too late.” […]

“The risk is very high,” said Jean-François Mary, the executive director of CACTUS Montreal, a community organization that focuses on harm reduction.

“Without tolerance, and without help from a seasoned fentanyl user, it’s sure to lead to a severe overdose and death if the person is alone, without someone with Naloxone trained at CPR.”

Nicholas Chadi, a pediatrician with a specialization in addiction, says he has treated teens who overdosed on isotonitazene. Though none of his patients died, he says some are left with long-lasting health consequences like heart or brain damage. (Read more)