The latest news articles featuring BC Centre on Substance Use.
Changing ‘Welfare Wednesday’ Could Save Lives. Why Haven’t We Done It?
October 16, 2023 | The Tyee
It’s a fact that’s shown up in toxic drug death data for decades: deaths spike in the days following “Welfare Wednesday.” That’s the day in the middle of the month when people living in poverty get their cheque for an entire month’s worth of income assistance from the provincial governme...
Ramping up drug testing in B.C. could save lives, activists say
October 07, 2023 | CHEK News
A free drug-testing service in Vancouver has tested over 50,000 illicit substances as part of a harm reduction initiative that lets people know what is in their drugs. Anyone can walk into Get Your Drugs Tested at 880 E. Hastings St., hand over a sample of their drugs (staff need about 10 milligra...
B.C. addiction, legal experts warn lack of support for offenders is a setup for failure
October 06, 2023 | Global News
B.C. experts in law, addiction and mental health said a lack of social support for chronic, repeat offenders is a setup for failure. Mohammed Majidpour was seen leaving a Vancouver jail on Wednesday. One of his release conditions is to attend the Downtown Community Court Mental Health Program and pa...
Advocates for people who use drugs decry B.C.’s proposed ban on public consumption
October 06, 2023 | CTV News Vancouver
Advocates for British Columbians who use drugs are pushing back against the provincial government’s proposed ban on the public consumption of substances, arguing it doesn’t do anything to address the overdose crisis and will only cause more harm. In response to safety concerns around B.C.’s de...
Carceral Tenancies in Vancouver
October 04, 2023 | The Mainlander
In Vancouver, British Columbia, there are a small number of nonprofit housing organizations – among them PHS and Atira – that receive the lion’s share of public funding and other resources to provide housing for people living with low incomes. Nonprofits generally operate “supportive,” “...
