The latest news articles featuring BC Centre on Substance Use.
More than 7,000 lives lost to toxic drugs in 5 years — and this B.C. health crisis is only getting worse
April 14, 2021 | CBC News
As B.C. marks five years since declaring a public health emergency due to opioid deaths, the provincial government has announced it will be making its request official in Ottawa to become the first province in the country to decriminalize the possession of small amounts of illicit drugs. B.C. Min...
Let users carry certain amounts of drugs without criminal sanctions: Vancouver mayor
April 12, 2021 | Vancouver Sun
The City of Vancouver has outlined the amounts of various drugs people should be allowed to carry as it seeks a federal exemption to decriminalize possession for personal use. Its proposal to combat the overdose crisis is part of an application to Health Canada. It lists possession thresholds for fo...
Guy Felicella: Treating addiction means treating trauma
April 07, 2021 | Vancouver Sun
According to Statistics Canada, an estimated six million Canadians will meet the criteria for a substance use disorder at some point in their lifetime. Many of those people will never receive the treatment they need, which means our health-care system is failing a fifth of our population on this sin...
Safe drug supply program still not reaching enough people in B.C., say advocates
March 26, 2021 | CBC News
It’s been a year since the province rushed to create new guidelines allowing doctors to prescribe hydromorphone to patients with opioid use disorders, as a way to give them an alternative to toxic illicit drugs. The change came as the COVID-19 pandemic began to take a significant toll in the p...
An App Designed to Curb Drug Overdose Deaths Has Saved 15 Lives
March 18, 2021 | The Tyee
At least 15 additional lives have been saved from toxic drug deaths in B.C. over the last 10 months thanks to a “virtual buddy” the province rolled out last May for people using substances. Paramedics and firefighters have, so far, responded to 62 calls for help through the Lifeguard app, which...
