The latest news articles featuring BC Centre on Substance Use.
Mixed Picture of Benzodiazepine-Related Toxicity in Ontario
June 22, 2023 | Medscape
The rate of benzodiazepine-related toxicity in Ontario, Canada, has decreased overall but has increased among young people, data indicate. In a population-based, cross-sectional study that included almost 26,000 patients, the age-standardized rate of benzodiazepine-related toxicity per 100,000 popul...
BC Adds 25 New Drug Treatment Beds for Youth
June 21, 2023 | The Tyee
B.C. has added 25 new addiction and treatment beds for young adults in Surrey and Vancouver, with 18 beds for young men and seven beds for all genders. As of this month there are 3,228 publicly funded community substance use treatment beds in B.C., including 156 youth beds, according to the Ministry...
The State of Safe Supply
June 20, 2023 | The Tyee
Before Brian O’Donnell was prescribed the opioids hydromorphone and methadone by his doctor, he used cocaine, heroin and fentanyl to manage chronic pain from injuries he sustained earlier in life. “If I didn’t have access to tested, safe drugs I’d probably be dead, just like a lot of my frie...
B.C. becomes first province to provide universal coverage for opioid treatments
June 14, 2023 | Vancouver Sun
The British Columbia government is expanding access to opioid treatment medications such as methadone by providing universal coverage to help people with substance use disorders, making it the first province in Canada to do so. Health Minister Adrian Dix said in a news release Wednesday that full co...
Researchers, academics speak out against encampment evictions in Vancouver’s DTES
June 13, 2023 | The Ubyssey
Following the city of Vancouver’s evictions of homeless encampments in the Downtown Eastside, several UBC and non-UBC academics signed onto an open letter calling on the City of Vancouver to stop the evictions. Starting in April 2023, police and city staff forcibly removed tents and other makeshif...
