The latest news articles featuring BC Centre on Substance Use.
Toxic drug deaths decline but dangerous sedatives turning up in drug supply
April 20, 2026 | Tri-Cities Dispatch
According to preliminary data from B.C. Coroners Service, 115 people lost their lives in February 2026 due to unregulated drug toxicity. There have been 265 unregulated drug deaths in B.C. in the first two months of 2026, compared to 301 in 2025 and 426 in 2024. Authorities recently tracked an incre...
Can cannabis treat opioid addiction?
April 19, 2026 | Canadian Affairs
In July, a user on the popular social media forum Reddit posed a simple but charged question: “Does cannabis help?” Posted to r/OpiatesRecovery, a 56,000‑member forum for people recovering from opioid addiction, the question drew mixed responses within minutes. Some said they found it helpful;...
B.C. declared overdoses a public health emergency 10 years ago. Has it worked?
April 14, 2026 | CBC News
In 2016, B.C. became the first province to declare a public health emergency over rising deaths related to illicit drugs. Thousands have died since. Dr. Paxton Bach, the co-medical director of the B.C. Centre on Substance Use, explains there’s no single solution to the complicated crisis. [Vid...
Doctor calls B.C.’s toxic drug crisis ‘a catastrophe with little parallel’
April 14, 2026 | CTV News
Research scientist Dr. MJ Milloy breaks down B.C.’s response and what more needs to be done as it marks 10 years of battling the toxic drug crisis. [Video]...
Opinion: Ten years into B.C.’s toxic drug crisis, solutions are within reach
April 13, 2026 | Vancouver Sun
Ten years ago, B.C. declared a public health emergency in response to the rapidly escalating toxic drug poisoning crisis that still holds us in its grip. Each anniversary since has been marked by grief and loss, and is a painful reminder of the urgency of this continuing crisis. Since April 14, 2016...
