The latest news articles featuring BC Centre on Substance Use.
Why B.C.’s former health officer wants to produce legal heroin [Podcast]
July 16, 2020 | CBC News - Front Burner
British Columbia’s former provincial health officer, Dr. Perry Kendall, has been a harm-reduction advocate for decades. Now, he’s planning to launch a company to produce a domestic supply of affordable, legal and pharmaceutical-grade heroin to be used “as a medication for therapy a...
June Overdose Toll Hits Record; 15 Times More Deadly than COVID-19
July 16, 2020 | The Tyee
B.C. has recorded back-to-back record months for drug overdose deaths, with June claiming 175 lives and surpassing May’s previous record of 171 fatal overdoses. And every one of the deaths could have been prevented if governments dealt with drug use as a health issue, said Dr. Perry Kendall, forme...
B.C. boosts funding for substance use outreach teams, amid overdose crisis
July 14, 2020 | Vancouver Sun
VICTORIA — B.C. is boosting the number of substance use teams that combine nurses, counsellors, social workers and outreach staff to help those suffering from addictions. Mental Health Minister Judy Darcy announced Monday $4.27 million in new permanent annual funding to create seven new integrated...
Police chiefs across Canada call for decriminalization of illicit drugs for personal use
July 09, 2020 | The Province
Police chiefs from across Canada are calling for the possession of illicit drugs for personal use to be decriminalized, and for a national task force to research drug policy reform. Decriminalization is something health experts and advocates have been pushing authorities to move on for years, and th...
Bill 22: Proposed involuntary treatment raises more questions than answers for youth who use drugs
July 03, 2020 | Georgia Straight
The overdose crisis, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, continues to impact communities across British Columbia. While researchers, health-care providers, and parents agree that youth need timely access to a continuum of treatments for substance-use disorders, the proposed changes to B.C.’s Men...
