A coroner urges action after a teen’s tragic death from a synthetic opioid highlights the urgent need for prevention efforts in schools
Montreal: A Quebec coroner is raising serious concerns after the death of 15-year-old Mathis Boivin. She believes this tragedy should be a wake-up call about the dangers of opioids for young people.
Mathis passed away on December 22, 2023, from a potent synthetic opioid. The coroner, Stéphanie Gamache, found he also had pneumonia. She pointed out that schools have different approaches to handling drug use, which is a big issue.
Some schools are proactive, providing naloxone kits, while others seem unaware of the risks. Gamache wonders why some schools aren’t more involved in addressing this problem.
She mentioned that there were signs of Mathis’s drug use before his death. If someone had noticed, he might have received help from specialists. It’s heartbreaking to think he could have recognized the signs of an overdose that night.
Gamache stressed that schools need to take this issue seriously. With drug-related deaths rising in North America, including Quebec, it’s crucial for schools to be part of the solution.
She highlighted that most opioid deaths are accidental and preventable. It’s a community issue, and everyone needs to be aware of the risks associated with drug use.
Mathis, who was otherwise healthy, had missed school to buy what he thought were oxycodone pills. His parents were aware of his cannabis use but had talked to him about harder drugs.
Before his death, a friend reached out to Mathis’s dad, worried about his drug use, but Mathis denied having a problem. The night before he died, he told a friend he had taken some pills and felt strange.
Tragically, Mathis was found dead the next morning. His father, Christian Boivin, is now speaking out in schools to raise awareness about opioid dangers. He hopes that by sharing his son’s story, he can help prevent other families from experiencing similar heartbreak.
Christian is calling for more government action and funding to tackle this issue. He asks, “Are we going to wait for more teens like Mathis to die?” It’s a tough question, but one that needs to be answered.
