The latest news articles featuring BC Centre on Substance Use.
B.C. to require most drug users receiving safe supply to have their doses witnessed
December 02, 2025 | Vancouver Sun
The provincial government is making changes to its safer-supply drug program, requiring most of those enrolled to have their doses taken in the presence of a nurse or pharmacist. The program provides untainted alternatives to toxic street drugs for people with severe addiction challenges. The progra...
Overdose calls plummet more than 40% in Coquitlam and Port Coquitlam, as drug deaths fall across B.C.
December 01, 2025 | Tri-Cities Dispatch
Emergency responders in Coquitlam and Port Coquitlam are reporting a steep decline in overdose-related calls this year – a shift that mirrors a broader drop in toxic drug deaths across British Columbia and beyond. Coquitlam Fire Rescue says overdose calls between January and November fell 40.8 per...
Alberta’s rural communities grapple with alcohol harm amid drug focus
November 25, 2025 | St. Albert Gazette
Alberta government investments report billions on drug recovery infrastructure and enforcement over the past three years, while investing far less in alcohol harm reduction, leaving rural communities with education campaigns instead of treatment options. “Alcohol shatters families and destroys co...
Experts call for free nasal naloxone across B.C., as pilot project outcome uncertain
November 24, 2025 | CBC News
From training thousands of students how to use injectable naloxone, Chloe Goodison has seen how daunting it can be for them to administer — even just when practising. Students express worries that their hand will shake or they’ll forget the steps, fear of needles, or that they’ll do somethin...
This Vancouver hospital is transforming addiction treatment
November 21, 2025 | CBC Radio - White Coat Black Art
Dr. Paxton Bach has spent years trying to help people navigate a broken system. Inconsistent approaches to withdrawal management, long wait times for detox and recovery programs and a system that struggles to address the social determinants of health have caused too many of his patients to fall thro...
