The latest news articles featuring BC Centre on Substance Use.
In a bid to transform Canada’s drug laws, Vancouver activists risk life imprisonment
July 23, 2026 | The Breach
In late 2022, 34-year-old Dee and their boyfriend bought cocaine and fentanyl from a dealer in northern B.C. who assured them the drugs were safe. Dee used first, then their partner. When they awoke two hours later in the van they shared, their boyfriend was dead. Devastated, Dee began using more fr...
2 Manitobans lost loved ones to overdoses. Now they want an alternative to toxic street drugs
July 16, 2026 | CBC News
Tammy Taillieu remembers her niece Destiny as a force to be reckoned with. She recalls how the 22-year-old university student was smart, compassionate and an advocate. She also used substances, Taillieu said. Destiny Taillieu died after a deadly dose of fentanyl in 2018. She and her boyfriend though...
Why B.C. drug deaths are down as overdoses hit record high
July 14, 2026 | CTV News
VANCOUVER – If there is an expert in how incredibly difficult it can be for an addict to get off drugs, it is Guy Felicella, who spent close to 20 years on Vancouver’s notorious Downtown Eastside. “Struggling with addiction, homelessness, and being brought back to life six times,” he said. T...
Three unregulated drug deaths in Coquitlam so far this year: coroners report
July 09, 2026 | Tri-Cities Dispatch
Unregulated drug deaths fell sharply in Coquitlam over the first five months of 2025, mirroring a provincial trend, according to a recent report from B.C. Coroners Service. Coroners reported three unregulated drug deaths in Coquitlam over the first five months of 2026. Over the past four years, unre...
New guidance recommends starting substance use education in kindergarten
June 28, 2026 | CBC News
A new framework to develop guidelines around substance use in schools recommends beginning prevention and education efforts efforts as early as kindergarten. The framework, dubbed Anchoring Change, was developed by a team that comprised academics, addictions researchers and school system administra...
