The latest news articles featuring BC Centre on Substance Use.
Meet The Moms Pushing For A New Approach To Canada’s Opioid Crisis
October 25, 2022 | Chatelaine
Petra Schulz’s son Danny was in recovery when he bought the pill that ended his life. Danny, who was 25 when he died of an overdose, had been through cycles of detox and relapse several times. Back then, Schulz knew very little about substance use and says she worries she and her husband encourage...
Drug overdoses in public bathrooms are common: new tools could prevent harm and improve response
October 11, 2022 | The Conversation
The drug poisoning crisis in Canada is at its worst in British Columbia, with over 10,000 lives lost since 2016. A key setting for overdoses in B.C. is bathrooms, though this information has not always been readily available. Every month in B.C., more than 50 overdoses happen in bathrooms. This ...
Ian Mulgrew: Fentanyl jail terms a Dickensian error walked back by B.C. court
October 05, 2022 | Vancouver Sun
A B.C. Court of Appeal division has tiptoed back the embarrassing 18-month minimum jail term it recommended five years ago for fentanyl trafficking to combat the nascent opioid crisis. The impugned 2017 ruling failed to stem the burgeoning deaths from toxic drugs and has wrought injustice — impr...
Safer Opioid Supply Program in Canada Helps Those Who Face Overdose Risks
September 27, 2022 | Medscape
The Safer Opioid Supply (SOS) Program near Toronto, Canada, appears to be a safe and effective harm-reduction initiative, according to new data. An analysis indicates that the program is associated with a reduction in emergency department visits, hospitalizations, and overall healthcare costs. In a...
Benzodiazepines found in 55 fatal overdoses in July as contamination mounts in B.C.
September 23, 2022 | CBC News
The memory might be hazy, but Hugh Lampkin says he will never forget the day he unwittingly took benzodiazepine in a desperate attempt to alleviate severe pain in his back. He thought he was taking heroin, before collapsing head-first onto a steel safe in a back room at the Vancouver Area Netwo...
