The latest news articles featuring BC Centre on Substance Use.
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...
From periphery to focal point: Taking community direction to challenge assumptions
April 07, 2026 | Simon Fraser University
The idea for a Downtown Eastside police accountability initiative flowed from the memberships of VANDU and the Western Aboriginal Harm Reduction Society (WAHRS) to the academy. In other words – it came from the community to the university, rather than from the university and imposed on a communi...
World Cup visitors need to be warned about Vancouver’s toxic drug supply, advocates say
March 30, 2026 | CTV News
With the World Cup now just over two months away, harm reduction advocates are urging health authorities and other stakeholders to communicate with visitors about the risks of Vancouver’s toxic illicit drug supply. “We know that with an event like this and with all of the excitement and the part...
