Health Authority backs off plans for drug consumption site in Richmond after protests
It noted that the Richmond Local Health Area is reporting a comparatively low rate of drug toxicity deaths, adding that those numbers are slowly coming down.
overdose
How the climate crisis is fuelling alcohol-related hospital visits
A study published recently in the journal Nature Communications Medicine found that temperature spikes due to climate change have led to a marked increase in the number of hospital visits for alcohol-related disorders — such as alcohol poisoning, alcohol withdrawal, and alcohol-induced sleep disorders — in New York state.
Time for mandatory overdose education in B.C. schools amid drug emergency, advocates
When a teenage girl collapsed on the SkyTrain in Coquitlam, B.C., passengers calling 911 thought she had fainted or was having an epileptic seizure.
Illicit toxic drugs killed more people in B.C. last year than all other causes combined
Illicit toxic drugs in British Columbia cause more deaths than all other natural causes combined, the province’s chief coroner said Wednesday as she called for an end to old prevention measures that have been "an abject and very costly failure."
Indigenous people most likely to die from an overdose, data shows
Stacity Bailie had been awaiting approval to enter a drug rehabilitation program when she died of an overdose on Oct. 22.
Ottawa funds opioid-dispensing machines after record month for overdose deaths
The federal government announced nearly $3.5 million in funding for the MySafe project, an initiative that provides people medical-grade opioids through a biometric vending machine.
Feds provide $15 million for safer drug pilot programs in B.C.
Four pilot projects in Vancouver and Victoria have received $15 million in federal funding to provide safer drugs for people at risk of dying from overdose as British Columbia faces a record number of annual fatalities.
National phone line launches to prevent overdose deaths
A new Canada-wide phone line aims to prevent deadly overdoses by connecting anyone who is alone and using drugs with peers who can quickly call for help if things take a bad turn.
COVID-19 health measures exacerbated opioid crisis: Canada's top doctor
Canada’s top doctor says public health measures put in place to stop the spread of COVID-19 may have made it harder for people who use drugs to access needed support.
How Green Party leadership hopefuls would address B.C.’s opioid crisis
"I have to say that the road to drug addiction, and dying on the street, is one that I’ve seen myself close to," said leadership contestant Amita Kuttner.
Trudeau ministers welcome decriminalization endorsement as opioid crisis deepens
The police chiefs said in a report that the "compelling case" for change had been made by public health officials addressing the opioid crisis, which killed over 15,000 Canadians between January 2016 and December 2019, and continues to kill.
Fentanyl overdose victim's mom wants Regina police to carry more naloxone kits
A mother whose son died of a fentanyl overdose wants the Regina Police Service to equip all front-line officers with the life-saving antidote naloxone.
B.C. teen overdose inquest recommends improvements in substance abuse treatment
A British Columbia coroner's inquest jury recommends improvements in provincial substance abuse treatment, detection and prevention services for young people following an inquest into the overdose of a Victoria-area teen.
Manslaughter charges against alleged fentanyl dealers piling up across Canada
Denise Lane searches her mind for fond memories of her son, but she has trouble retrieving them. No Christmases, no birthdays. It's hard to remember the good times.
Feds ease rules on supervised drug injection sites, mail inspections at border
The federal government is making it easier to set up supervised drug injection sites in Canada while cracking down on illicit shipments of fentanyl and the import of equipment used to make pills.