B.C. expands safe supply to curb overdose crisis death toll
Fentanyl patches and injectable opioids will be prescribed as alternatives to deadly street drugs and be covered by PharmaCare as part of B.C.'s new safer supply plan.
overdose crisis
Opioid deaths averaged 17 per day in 2020
Canada's public health agency says the COVID-19 pandemic drove an increasingly deadly overdose crisis last year that continues to take lives and corrode communities.
Cannabis a potential harm reduction tool for youth at risk of fatal overdose, research shows
Recent research suggests youth struggling with illicit drug use may use cannabis to mitigate the risk of overdose and that establishing housing, work and income supports is their priority before treatment.
Youth need specialized support in B.C. overdose crisis, advocates say
One immediate way to protect youth from fatal drug overdoses is to provide harm reduction and overdose prevention services dedicated strictly to their demographic, says youth outreach worker and harm reduction advocate Kali Sedgemore.