Over the Influence: Tackling the Opioid Crisis

Lethal Dose graphic

It only takes this much of Fentanyl (~3 mg) for someone to experience an accidental poisoning.

The opioid epidemic in Canada is a public health crisis affecting thousands young people in the country. According to the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction’s 2022 Opioid Use report, 9.8% of youth aged 15-19 and 12.1% of youth aged 19-24 misused opioids.

Opioids are medications that relieve pain. Legal opioids are medications prescribed by a health care professional and are used to treat pain from medical conditions (e.g., injuries, surgery, cancer, or long-term chronic pain).

The opioid crisis began from the over-prescription of painkillers in the late 1990s and early 2000s, when drugs like OxyContin were marketed as safe and effective pain management strategies. When pharmaceutical regulations became stricter, individuals who had developed a dependency on these prescription pills had to turn to other sources, leading to the use of illegal and unregulated, more dangerous, and higher potency opioids like Fentanyl.

Over the Influence (OTI) is mobilizing youth leadership across Canada to take action on the opioid crisis. We train youth across the country to promote harm reduction techniques to their peers and broader communities, empowering youth to seek evidence-based resources and access formal supports, and contribute to rewriting the narrative of opioid use within their circles and broader communities.

The engine of impact behind OTI is our Influence in Action Model, which leverages youth who are seen as having influence among their peers, cultivating leadership skills and co-developing evidence-based brief interventions that can inform peers’ decision-making around harmful attitudes and behaviours. We call youth spearheading these movements youth influencers.

Youth influencers captivate and engage across in person and virtual communities, wielding substantial impact and reach. The influencer team includes Indigenous and racialized youth who face numerous health inequities (e.g., high rates of domestic violence, racism, substance use, poverty, incarceration, educational and employment instability). Additionally, all influencers have firsthand experience(s) with the opioid epidemic--whether through their own struggles, within their families, or in their community—lending them unique insights into the challenges and realities faced by marginalized communities grappling with this crisis.

Weekly meetings with influencers foster growth through trainings, discussions, and the nurturing of relationships within the community. Beyond these gatherings, influencers offer guidance and assistance to the youth in their communities as well as adults working with youth and initiatives concerning opioids and other substances. These influencers lend their expertise to ongoing social media campaigns and are channeled into advising policymakers, ensuring that decisions reflect the needs and concerns of today's youth, making a profound impact on policy direction.

Influencers want to:

  • “[Increase] understanding [on] how powerful a lot of drugs are.”
  • “[Reduce] stigma in our communities around addiction.”
  • “Communicate that addiction never comes on its own [co-morbidity].”

We create and mobilize resources “everyone should know” (Influencer) around opioid use: how to say no, recognizing autonomy, critical thinking skills, and informed decision making. Below, find links to our latest knowledge products, or stay up-to-date by following our Instagram account: @scc_overtheinfluence

  • A Nudge to Safety: A Quick Introduction to Naloxone
  • Thanks But No Thanks: Building Peer Refusal Skills
  • CARS handout from Against the Current

We are looking for youth ages 16-24 from across Canada with experience with the opioid crisis (personally, in their family, in their community) that will be trained in our Influence in Action model and support their peers and adults who work with youth to address the opioid crisis.

Reasons to join from current members:

  • “Immaculate vibes!!”
  • “A place to bring your lived experiences without judgement”
  • “[Become] someone that other youth can look up to.”

We strongly believe that collaborating with non-profits, community centres, policy development and government initiatives is paramount to effectively reaching young people and mitigating the opioid crisis's adverse effects on our communities.

We are currently looking for opportunities to facilitate 30 minute-to-1 hour Zoom calls with decision makers and practitioners to present influencers’ perspectives on how to bring youth to the table to best tackle the opioid crisis. Our team can tailor presentations to suit your specific requirements and scheduling needs. Your support and collaboration will significantly contribute to the success of our initiative. Together, we can make a difference in combating the opioid crisis and fostering healthier, safer communities for our youth.

Contact us for scheduling and more details.

Resources

As part of helping those impacted by the opioid crisis stay informed and find help, we are amassing provincial and federal resources for finding support or the latest information around the opiate crisis.