Survey on Youth Opioid Use in Alberta

In 2018, the Office of the Child and Youth Advocate released a report called Into Focus: Calling Attention to Youth Opioid Use in Alberta that reviewed the circumstances of 12 young people who died from opioid poisoning between October 2015 and September 2017.

The report concluded that Alberta needs a youth-specific response to the opioid crisis and made five recommendations to government. We want to see if anything has changed for young people since the report was released.

We want to hear from young people and stakeholders about their thoughts on youth opioid use in Alberta. When we talk about young people’s experience with opioids, we mean any time they’ve taken them, whether on purpose or accidentally (such as when they’re mixed into other drugs), and whether they are legal (prescription medication) or illegal (street drugs).

Are you under the age of 24, and do you use opioids, or have you used them in the past? We want to hear from you. Take the youth survey: https://extranet.gov.ab.ca/opinio6//s?s=51689.

We will be asking you what helped you, what did not help you, and what you think would help other young people to stay safe and get the support they need related to opioid use. Sharing your experiences will bring attention to the realities young people face and what can be done to makes things better.

Do you work with and support young people who use or have used opioids? We want to hear from you. Take the stakeholder survey: https://extranet.gov.ab.ca/opinio6//s?s=51688.

We will be asking you what is and/or is not working in the provincial response to youth opioid use. Your perspectives can help bring attention to the realities facing young people, and highlight the supports and services needed to reduce the harmful impacts of opioid use.

Thank you for taking the survey. Your voice matters.