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)