The latest news articles featuring BC Centre on Substance Use.
Two neighbouring provinces. Two very different drug policies. B.C. and Alberta set to offer Canada a study in contrasts
June 01, 2022 | Toronto Star
When Lori Hatfield’s son fled to British Columbia in 2018, hoping to escape the shadow of drug-related crimes in his native Alberta, she felt an odd pang of relief. The mother from Lethbridge, Alta., had watched her son’s struggle with addiction, and while he was moving to what she saw as the �...
Critics say baby steps to decriminalize possession of illicit drugs in B.C. are not enough
May 31, 2022 | Vancouver Sun
Health Canada’s decision to decriminalize possession of small amounts of illicit drugs in B.C. was hailed by some as an important step, but critics said the 2.5 gram limit is a “ridiculously low threshold” that could cause people to buy more potent drugs. B.C. will become the first jurisdictio...
Study: A cleaner illicit drug supply would cut overdose rates
May 26, 2022 | Elliot Lake News
A new study in the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ) said that providing safe drug substances to addicted drug users might be a solution to the growing number of overdose deaths from the toxic and unregulated supply of street drugs. The study reports that there are safer alternatives ava...
‘Mass poisoning crisis’: Canadians need to change how we talk about drug deaths, advocates say
May 24, 2022 | CBC News
There’s a poisoning crisis gripping Canada, and it’s killing thousands of people each year. It doesn’t involve contaminated meat, lettuce or baby formula – the kinds of safety issues that prompt public concern, product recalls, and holding those responsible to account. It’s...
17 and Hooked on Benzo Dope
May 19, 2022 | VICE
ABBOTSFORD, British Columbia — The first time Carrie smoked “down,” a street name for fentanyl, heroin, and other illegal opioids, she said she was held captive for four days inside a tent by a much older man who’d given it to her. Either 13 or 14 at the time, Carrie, now 17, said the man, w...
