The latest news articles featuring BC Centre on Substance Use.
The realities of addiction treatment in Nelson and beyond
August 19, 2026 | Frequency News
Dr. Kora DeBeck of the BC Centre on Substance Use says B.C.’s voluntary addiction treatment system still has a lot of gaps. “…Within the voluntary addiction treatment system, there are still lots of waits. It’s not very accessible and also something that the head BC coroner and our provincia...
Empowering harm-reduction behaviour with drug checking
August 18, 2026 | Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute blog
Seeing a list of the unexpected active substances in their drugs empowered individuals to take harm-reduction steps, according to a study led by Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute researcher Dr. Mint (Lianping) Ti. Of the hundreds of individuals surveyed who used a drug-checking service, ma...
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...
