A Montreal teenager died days before Christmas after unknowingly taking a drug more powerful than fentanyl. Unsettled, her loved ones want to make as many people aware of the dangers of opioid overdoses as possible.
“He brushed his teeth, he put on his pyjamas, he took off his glasses to put them on the bedside table, he went to bed like every evening. The next day, four more pills similar to the ones he had taken were found in his wallet. He could have killed an elephant with what we sold,” he lamented. said Christian Bowin, father of Mathis, 15, who died of asphyxiation from an overdose.
According to his father, the eldest in the family was a teenager like the others. He was brought up in a “normal” family. He attended private school and “never liked anything.”
For these reasons, a man lost his son when he swallowed an isotonidazine tablet Newspaper; “Because it can happen to anyone.”
'There is no addiction to drugs'
Like many young people his age, Mathis Boivin loved to discover new things and break the rules. Over the past year, he has had several discussions with his parents about drug use.
“He told us he wanted to try pot,” says the bereaved father. My partner and I were very open with him. We discussed the risks and offered to buy some for him to make sure he was consuming something safe.
After this first foray into the world of drugs, the young man probably wanted to go further. However, he swore to his parents that he had “not consumed anything for a while” before his death.
“No sign, no trace. Mathis is not a drug addict. A very enterprising young man and someone took advantage of his innocence,” laments his father.
His father, Christian, says that young Mathis Bovine was very curious.
Photo by Pierre-Paul Poulin
The teenager's friends confirmed he wanted to get oxycodone, much to the shock of his family. Isotonitazene tablets are similar to this prescription drug.
“The coroner did a toxicology analysis and confirmed to us what it was. […] I can't believe people are twisted enough to sell this to children. “He poisoned my son without knowing it,” gasped Christian Boivin.
He says the Montreal Police Department has so far been unsuccessful in identifying the man who allegedly sold the teenager the dangerous substance.
A great void
Almost two weeks after the tragedy, Mathis Boivin's family members are still in shock. His other son and his daughter, aged 10 and 13 respectively, took the news hard, but the father insists they “showed great strength”.
For his part, he wants to do everything he can to prevent other families from experiencing the same thing. Bovin says.
“I wasn't looking for a reason to protect, but life gave me one. I will protect it in memory of my son,” he concludes.
Relatives and family of Mathis Bovine will gather in Montreal on Friday afternoon for a memorial service.
Isotonidasine, a misdirected opioid
- Health Canada's Drug Analysis Service has issued several comments on the presence of isotonidazine in Quebec since 2020.
- Mimics the appearance of the prescription drug oxycodone. It is sold as a light blue tablet marked “A/215”.
- A triangular white tablet with rounded corners with the letter M on one side and the number 8 on the other may look similar to hydromorphone.
- Even more powerful than fentanyl, according to experts. A single dose can be dangerous for someone new to opioids.
- Fentanyl cannot be detected by detection strips. Only laboratory analysis can identify it.
- As with other opioids, administration of naloxone can counteract its effects. More than one dose may be needed.
“Music geek. Coffee lover. Devoted food scholar. Web buff. Passionate internet guru.”
