Over the past few years, more and more young people have been buying drugs through major social media platforms. Online access to drugs has become extremely easy and the overwhelming majority of dealers who supply substance-dependent youth operate via social networks. 

Quick Access to Increasingly Dangerous Substances

The growth of social networks has enabled dealers to promote a wide range of drugs with complete impunity. Once limited to street corners, dealers now have a huge platform through which they can reach an increasingly young audience. Some social pages even feature contests to win wax pens (electronic cigarettes containing extremely strong THC concentrations).

Several social media platforms that are very popular among young people have been hijacked for this purpose, including Snapchat, Instagram, and Telegram, a free messaging platform used by nearly one billion people worldwide. Though supposedly moderated by powerful algorithms, dealers often use emojis to bypass censorship. Pavel Dourov, the Franco-Russian founder of Telegram, was arrested by French judicial authorities on August 24, 2024, on charges of facilitating the sale of illicit drugs on his platform, an arrest that was criticized by the owner of X and Tesla, Elon Musk. Telegram features include complete anonymity and the ability to delete private chatroom messages, which prevent police from tracking dealers.

By targeting a young consumer population, dealers make available opioid-derived drugs like OxyContin, a powerful painkiller. These drugs are normally only available on prescription and can sometimes lead to fatal overdoses. In September 2024, the Service de police de la Ville de Montreal (SPVM) arrested two suspected drug dealers aged 17 and 24. Both were charged with selling substances such as cannabis, ketamine, Xanax and opioids via an online store called “Kushtard”, - a play on words between 'kush' (cannabis) and Couche-tard (the well-known Canadian convenience store chain). The SPVM seized pills containing nitazene, a synthetic opioid that is 25 times stronger than fentanyl. Moreover, one of the dealers had previously been arrested on similar charges in 2022; at the time, he had offered “bonus” opiate drugs to undercover agents posing as clients.

According to investigators, the online store may be linked to the tragic death of a young Montrealer in December 2023. The 15-year-old boy had ingested a pill containing nitazene and died in his sleep at home, while his unsuspecting father was in the house. The Québec population was deeply moved by the news of his death, which drew attention to the danger of the substances being sold on social media black markets.

Social Media, The Number One Source for Drugs Among Youth

Many experts in youth addiction treatment are making the same observation: social media has become the new hub for illicit drug trade among young people. Easy access, speed, and anonymity are the key factors in this market, and social media seems to fulfill these criteria perfectly. Through 'stories' that remain online for only 24 hours or through private networks like Telegram, mentioned above, it is almost impossible to stop online drug trafficking.

This trend is also evident among young people seeking treatment at Portage. Patrick Varin, Director of the centre for adolescents and young adults located in Prévost, in the Laurentian region, states that “Today, eight out of ten adolescents report having purchased drugs through social media before deciding to seek therapy.”

The trend towards selling drugs via social media appears to have spread in recent years, putting young substance users at risk of an overdose. According to La Presse, one of the judges who worked on the Kushtard case found the situation “alarming” and called attention to a strategy aimed at creating drug addiction among users and encouraging them to return for more pills.

In answer to a question from La Presse, employees of the Groupe de recherche et d’intervention psychosociale stated that banning young people from using social networks is not a viable solution. According to experts, a better option is to focus on discussing the dangers of social media. Young people who always carry their cell phones are never more than a click away from dangerous drugs.