The latest news articles featuring BC Centre on Substance Use.
Canada’s other health crisis: As overdoses surge, officials call on government to decriminalize illicit drugs
August 16, 2020 | Washington Post
TORONTO — The novel coronavirus was on the march across Canada, but it was a different public health crisis that turned Shannon Krell’s world upside down. Her brother hadn’t shown up for work, which was unusual. She called the police to have someone check on the 46-year-old, but a friend a...
Why BC’s Illicit Drugs Are Increasingly Deadly
August 14, 2020 | The Tyee
British Columbia’s illicit drug supply has become increasingly dangerous during the COVID-19 pandemic as borders are closed and more drugs are manufactured or altered domestically. Dr. Mark Lysyshyn, deputy chief medical health officer for Vancouver Coastal Health, identified three main sources of...
Why the Drug User Liberation Front Gave Out Free, Checked Drugs in Vancouver
August 11, 2020 | Filter
The Drug User Liberation Front, a Vancouver-based activist group, made a serious statement on June 23. During a protest in the city’s Downtown Eastside, they gave out free, checked and illegal drugs to their community. They did this in response to British Columbia’s monthly overdose death numbe...
A Domestic Safe Supply of Injectable Heroin Would Save Lives
August 10, 2020 | The Tyee
For so many in British Columbia living at risk of overdose, as well as across Canada, the recent announcement of a new pharma company focused on creating a safe supply of pharmaceutical heroin is a lifeline. B.C. yet again recorded the worst month in its history for overdose deaths, with 175 dead...
Youth and opioid agonist therapy: We need to collaborate with youth on short- and longer-term plans
August 05, 2020 | BC Medical Journal
North America is in the midst of an overdose emergency that is having devastating effects, including among youth under 30 years of age. In Canada, youth represent the fastest growing age demographic for hospitalizations due to opioid poisoning, and in British Columbia, more than 1000 youth ages 10...
