The latest news articles featuring BC Centre on Substance Use.
B.C. says parents of youth admitted involuntarily under Mental Health Act must be informed
December 09, 2025 | Vancouver Sun
The province’s newly released guidelines for placing youth with substance use and mental health challenges in involuntary care could lead to traumatic experiences that leave them less likely to seek help in the future, advocates are warning. On Friday, Premier David Eby and adviser Dr. Daniel Vigo...
B.C. directs physicians to notify parents if child shows up with mental health, drug use issues
December 05, 2025 | CBC News
The B.C. government is issuing new guidance for physicians when it comes to treating youth with overlapping cases of mental health and substance use challenges, clarifying the use of involuntary care in the process. In a guidance document issued Friday, the province directs physicians to notify pa...
B.C. to require most drug users receiving safe supply to have their doses witnessed
December 02, 2025 | Vancouver Sun
The provincial government is making changes to its safer-supply drug program, requiring most of those enrolled to have their doses taken in the presence of a nurse or pharmacist. The program provides untainted alternatives to toxic street drugs for people with severe addiction challenges. The progra...
Overdose calls plummet more than 40% in Coquitlam and Port Coquitlam, as drug deaths fall across B.C.
December 01, 2025 | Tri-Cities Dispatch
Emergency responders in Coquitlam and Port Coquitlam are reporting a steep decline in overdose-related calls this year – a shift that mirrors a broader drop in toxic drug deaths across British Columbia and beyond. Coquitlam Fire Rescue says overdose calls between January and November fell 40.8 per...
Alberta’s rural communities grapple with alcohol harm amid drug focus
November 25, 2025 | St. Albert Gazette
Alberta government investments report billions on drug recovery infrastructure and enforcement over the past three years, while investing far less in alcohol harm reduction, leaving rural communities with education campaigns instead of treatment options. “Alcohol shatters families and destroys co...
