The latest news articles featuring BC Centre on Substance Use.
Toxic drug deaths highly personal — and political — as B.C. marks 9 years since public health emergency began
April 14, 2025 | CBC News
Nine years ago, former B.C. provincial health officer Dr. Perry Kendall declared a public health emergency in response to a sharp increase in deaths related to toxic drugs and drug overdoses. Overdose deaths had been climbing steadily since 2010; the 474 deaths in 2015 were a 30 per cent increase f...
Cannabis can help in recovery care but stigma remains a challenge, says new study
April 11, 2025 | StratCann
A new pilot study in Canada looked at how medically supervised cannabis use in a residential recovery home could support people in treatment for substance use challenges. Participants in the study reported that cannabis helped them manage pain, anxiety, depression and sleep issues, all symptoms that...
Federal parties spar over drug consumption sites in B.C.
April 09, 2025 | CBC News
Federal parties have pitched different approaches to dealing with the toxic drug crisis in B.C. — particularly when it comes to overdose prevention and supervised consumption sites. While the Conservatives have pledged to severely restrict overdose prevention sites, and the Liberals say they’...
Medical cannabis could speed recovery, especially at community recovery homes, pilot study indicates
April 07, 2025 | Medical Xpress
A new pilot study from UBC Okanagan and Thompson Rivers University examined how medically supervised cannabis use in a residential recovery home may support people in treatment for substance use challenges. The study, published in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, was conducted by rese...
What you should know about benzos before you take them
March 30, 2025 | CBC Radio
Within 10 minutes of disclosing his sleepless nights to his family doctor, Georges Marcoux had a little white pill in his hand. His doctor in Shediac, N.B., prescribed him a sleeping pill, Oxazepam, which gave him relief for a few weeks. “I got the prescription, and that’s it. Nobody was...
