The latest news articles featuring BC Centre on Substance Use.
126 children and youth died of toxic drugs in 5 years: B.C. coroner
May 28, 2024 | CBC News
The B.C. Coroners Service has found that 126 children and youth younger than 19 died due to toxic drugs between 2019 and 2023. The numbers, released in a Tuesday report, showed that unregulated drug toxicity was the most common cause of unnatural death among youth during that time period. More than...
Reality check: Pierre Poilievre says Justin Trudeau legalized hard drugs in British Columbia. Is that true?
May 26, 2024 | Toronto Star
OTTAWA—You’ve probably heard him say it: Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre claims Justin Trudeau’s Liberal government “legalized hard drugs” in British Columbia, a move he believes will unleash “chaos and carnage” across Canada. He’s referring to B.C.’s three-year pilot program,...
Backtracking on drug decriminalization is politically cowardly – and illogical
May 22, 2024 | Globe and Mail
British Columbia’s three-year pilot project to decriminalize personal possession of drugs hadn’t even hit its halfway point when the province delivered a catastrophic blow to its own policy. In January, 2023, the federal government created an exemption for B.C. to decriminalize drug use, allowi...
Toronto’s denied drug decriminalization is a step ‘backwards,’ expert says
May 18, 2024 | Global News
Provinces and territories should not stop pushing for drug decriminalization despite the federal government’s rejection of Toronto’s request, one expert says. Guy Felicella, a harm reduction and recovery expert in British Columbia, says all regions in Canada need to persevere with treating sub...
Despite all the shouting, the opioid crisis continues to defy simple answers
May 02, 2024 | CBC News
The debate in Parliament about British Columbia’s experience with drug decriminalization was already operating at extremes before Pierre Poilievre used the term “wacko.” During question period on Monday, the Conservative leader said the Liberal government had unleashed “dr...
