Ensuring access to substance use care amid the COVID-19 pandemic
On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared the illness caused by the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, a pandemic. It was declared British Columbia’s second public health emergency – the first being the opioid overdose crisis – this week. People who use drugs often face social and structural challenges like
Lower-Risk Cannabis Use Guidelines
On October 17, 2018, the adult use of cannabis will become legal in Canada. Legalization provides an opportunity not only to regulate the use and supply of cannabis, but also to educate and inform cannabis users to prevent or reduce cannabis-related health problems. The Lower Risk Cannabis Use Guidelines for
Living in the Best Place on Earth
When Tyler Cuddahy moved to Vancouver from Alberta as a 16-year-old just over a decade ago, they weren’t just leaving behind a life in foster care and childhood abuse – they were searching for a community. “I was looking for a place to be accepted,” Tyler recalls. “I was dealing
Can we reduce drug-related harm by changing how and when income assistance is distributed?
On the last Wednesday of every month, Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside is filled with an energy unlike other days of the month. It’s cheque day, the one day each month when income assistance is delivered. Lineups outside Pigeon Park Savings are followed by lineups inside grocery stores and the Army &