Risk of illicit drug overdose in youth highlighted in national surveillance program report

OTTAWA – Illicit drug overdose is a public health emergency in Canada and is now the leading cause of death in 10- to 18-year-olds in Western Canada. The 2022 Canadian Paediatric Surveillance Program (CPSP) annual report includes a survey that gauged the minimum number of children and youth presenting with severe or life-threatening exposure to opioids, stimulants, or sedatives over a two-year period.

“A significant number of adolescents in all 10 Canadian provinces sought care after an overdose. It’s doubly concerning since this number does not include youth who didn’t seek care or who received care from a non-paediatric provider,” said Dr. Matthew Carwana, a clinical assistant professor in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of British Columbia and a researcher in substance use disorders. “There is a great need for prevention and intervention strategies that can meet the needs of children and youth in this ongoing crisis.”

The CPSP is initiating a longer-term study to better understand how the illicit drug crisis is affecting children and youth and to inform preventive and treatment interventions. Other points of interest among the CPSP 2022 report include:

• Preliminary results from a study on Post-COVID-19 condition (Long COVID) show that all children presenting with long COVID had a co-morbid condition such as obesity, allergies, mental health conditions, and neurodevelopmental conditions. The ongoing study will provide a better understanding of the nature of long COVID in children and youth so that healthcare systems and providers can better support their recovery.
   
• Cases of congenital syphilis have become increasingly common, with serious and irreversible consequences if an early diagnosis is missed. An ongoing study seeks to identify parental risk factors associated with congenital syphilis in order help inform public health strategies and mitigate barriers to prenatal care for birthing parents.

The CPSP conducts national surveillance and research into rare and emerging threats to child health, using data from approximately 2800 paediatricians and paediatric subspecialists across Canada. The CPSP is a joint program of the Public Health Agency of Canada and the Canadian Paediatric Society.

The complete 2022 CPSP Results are be available here.

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