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The Bay

A New Bill Could Help Get Teens Closer to Recovering From Addiction

Ericka Cruz GuevarraLesley McClurgAlan MontecilloMaria Esquinca
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A patient displays his Suboxone prescription following his appointment at the Substance Use Disorders Bridge Clinic at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston on April 27, 2018. The patient takes Suboxone, a medicine that contains buprenorphine and naloxone, to treat his substance use disorder. He said he had been addicted to Opioids for 10 years but has been drug free since he started taking Suboxone nearly 2 years ago. (Craig F. Walker/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

This episode contains descriptions of drug addiction and attempted suicide. The national crisis and suicide hotline is 988.

In 2021, about 1 in 5 deaths among people ages 15-24 were from fentanyl overdoses in California. As this crisis worsens, doctors are seeing more and more demand for life-saving addiction treatment.

One crucial piece of the puzzle is a medication called Suboxone, or buprenorphine. It helps block withdrawal symptoms and can allow people to go to school, work, and maintain relationships while recovering.

But patients under the age of 18 can’t access Suboxone without parental consent. Assemblymember Matt Haney thinks that should change, and has filed a bill that would lower the age to 16.

Episode transcript

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Guest: Lesley McClurg, KQED health correspondent


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