BRIEF—Health Canada recommends kids not use cough and cold products containing opioids

Following a safety review of cough and cold products containing opioids, medicines regulator Health Canada is advising that Canadian children and adolescents (under 18 years of age) should not use cough and cold products containing codeine, hydrocodone and normethadone, as a precautionary measure.

Health Canada's safety review found that there is limited evidence to support the effectiveness of these products in children and adolescents (under 18 years of age).

In addition, while the review did not find any strong evidence linking cough and cold products that contain opioids with opioid use disorders in children and adolescents, it did find that the early use of opioids may be a factor in problematic substance use later in life.

Health Canada is also asking manufacturers to update their product safety information to reflect the Department's recommendation that children and adolescents (under 18 years of age) not use these products.

Three prescription opioids are authorized to treat cough symptoms in Canada: codeine, hydrocodone, and normethadone.

Codeine is also available without a prescription in low-dose formulations to treat cough and cold.