Tailored care needed for B.C. youth using drugs: Report

published on December 8, 2022 by Nathan Griffiths in Vancouver Sun

Current approaches to treatment for youth using substances aren’t meeting their needs, according to a new report from the B.C. Centre on Substance Use.

Many youth expressed suspicion or aversion to “overly medicalized care” such as opioid agonist therapy (OAT), instead preferring care “focused on relationship- and trust-building,” the report authors wrote.

Opioid agonist treatment uses medications like Suboxone and methadone to treat opioid addiction.

“Youth want treatment that allows them to build connections, build relationships, perhaps work on things that are priorities for them, whether it’s getting back to school or getting a job or working on their relationships,” said Danya Fast, a research scientist at the B.C. Centre on Substance Use and author of the report…

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