Items tagged with canada and opioids

Item title Description
B.C. toxic drug deaths ‘largely preventable,’ coroner says, amid push for expanded safer supply access [01.11.2023] The BC Coroners Service is urging the province to “immediately pursue” expanded access to safer supply as a new report on toxic drug deaths finds man ...
DULF organizers arrested for operating safe drug compassion club [26.10.2023] Vancouver police have arrested drug policy activists Eris Nyx and Jeremy Kalicum after executing search warrants on the Drug User Liberation Front of ...
The evidence shows that safer supply drug programs work [12.10.2023] The mounting moral panic against safer supply and other harm reduction interventions to counter the toxic drug crisis is not based in evidence. The r ...
Can drug users lives be saved by giving them uncontaminated heroin and cocaine? [23.10.2022] Canada remains in the grips of a deadly toxic drug crisis that has claimed the lives of tens of thousands. It’s a crisis that has been blamed on a wa ...
Over 10,000 people in B.C. have died due to toxic drugs since health emergency was declared in 2016: coroner [16.08.2022] More than 140 people died from illicit drug toxicity across B.C. during the month of June, the provincial coroners' service says, pushing the total n ...
New program sells regulated fentanyl to help prevent overdoses from illicit supply in Vancouver [07.04.2022] A Vancouver social services organization has launched a program to sell pharmaceutical-grade fentanyl to drug users who would otherwise purchase toxi ...
Vancouver's chief medical officer recommends compassion club model to reduce illicit drug deaths [22.10.2021] Vancouver's head doctor said more headway needs to be made on the opioid crisis in British Columbia and one way to stop people from dying sooner rath ...
Drug decriminalization movement gaining momentum in Canada as overdose deaths surge [29.09.2021] As overdose deaths keep surging in Canada, the movement to decriminalize illicit drugs is gaining steam, with one of the country's largest mental hea ...
We should hand out free heroin to drug users [26.08.2021] Let’s give out heroin, for free, to anyone who wants it. This is not a provocation meant to make you gasp or to elicit angry clicks—rather, it’s a pr ...
This overdose awareness day, activists will again hand out safe drugs [24.08.2021] In the midst of a federal election campaign, a group of activists plan to again hand out tested, untainted heroin, cocaine and methamphetamine in a p ...
Safe drug supply program still not reaching enough people in B.C., say advocates [26.03.2021] It's been a year since the province rushed to create new guidelines allowing doctors to prescribe hydromorphone to patients with opioid use disorders ...
A tale of two public health crises — science is being used to stem coronavirus but not opioid deaths [13.03.2021] As one public health emergency sees policymakers around the world turn to the best available science to stem its tide, another deadly crisis rages on ...
As BC’s overdose crisis deepens, Province defends efforts [02.03.2021] At least 165 more British Columbians died of illicit drug overdoses in the first month of 2021, more than double the number of deaths recorded last J ...
B.C. asks federal government for exemption to decriminalize illicit drugs [11.02.2021] British Columbia is asking the federal government to grant the province an exemption under federal law to decriminalize the possession of small amoun ...
Vancouver proposes decriminalizing possession of small amounts of drugs [18.11.2020] Vancouver is proposing to become the first Canadian city to decriminalize the possession of small amounts of illicit drugs. Mayor Kennedy Stewart, wh ...
‘It’s personal to me’: Dr. Bonnie Henry on why we can’t afford to ignore B.C.’s overdose crisis [30.09.2020] B.C.’s top doctor says the province’s two public health emergencies — the overdose crisis and COVID-19 pandemic — continue to intersect in ways that ...
Overdoses are killing more people in Western Canada than COVID-19. B.C. has a bold new plan [25.09.2020] Canada’s other epidemic, the opioids overdose crisis, is more deadly than ever this year. Deaths in British Columbia hit new highs over the spring, i ...
‘Life-saving and life-changing’: BC’s safe supply program gets major expansion [16.09.2020] Bold changes and a dramatic expansion are coming to safe supply efforts in B.C. in response to an increasingly toxic drug supply and the deadly overd ...
Amid spike in opioid overdoses, momentum for reform wavers [31.08.2020] U.S. states and cities are seeing increases in opioid-related overdose deaths A paper issued by the American Medical Association this summer found th ...
'So much sadness': more British Columbians dying from overdoses than Covid [28.08.2020] A growing number of drug policy experts, users and advocates argue that dramatically expanding access to pharmaceutical-grade heroin is the only mean ...
Expand safe supply options for people who use drugs, Ontario advocates say [27.08.2020] All levels of government responded quickly to the COVID-19 pandemic, and harm reduction advocates are wondering why the same hasn't happened for the ...
Why the Drug User Liberation Front gave out free, checked drugs in Vancouver [11.08.2020] 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 Eastsi ...
‘Does anyone care?’: B.C. overdose deaths hit record high for second consecutive month [17.07.2020] This time, at least 175 people died. The victims include a soccer goalie who had just celebrated his 26th birthday, a cheerful young volunteer at an ...
Supervised consumption sites save Alberta money: University of Calgary study [25.06.2020] A study from the University of Calgary has concluded the Calgary supervised consumption site is saving the province money. The study looked at the co ...
B.C. records highest number of fatal overdoses in a single month, with 170 deaths [11.06.2020] The BC Coroners Service said 170 people died of an illicit drug overdose in May, the highest total ever recorded for a single month in provincial his ...
B.C. moves to 'safe supply' as overdose deaths spike during COVID-19 pandemic [12.05.2020] The new guidelines were announced in late March in response to the COVID-19 pandemic — concerns about the drug supply becoming even further adulterat ...
Canada’s Safe-Supply vending machines project is even more important now [05.05.2020] Due to the increase in opioid overdoses, British Columbia declared a public health emergency in 2016. Fentanyl was in town, contributing to thousands ...
Advocates call safe drug supply a victory but worry about logistics in pandemic [06.04.2020] Advocates say it took a pandemic for steps forward in the call for a safe supply of drugs for people dealing with substance use problems and there’s ...
Opioid vending machine opens in Vancouver [17.02.2020] A vending machine for powerful opioids has opened in Canada as part of a project to help fight the Canadian city’s overdose crisis. The MySafe projec ...
Tainted drugs are fuelling Thunder Bay's opioid deaths, say advocates. They want a safe supply to fight it [08.01.2020] Inside the only supervised injection site in Thunder Bay, Ont., nurse practitioner Josh Fraser has reversed so many opioid overdoses that he says the ...
Canada’s opioid crisis: The people and communities fighting for change and finding solutions [23.12.2019] The drug crisis has claimed thousands of lives in Canada, with no communities spared. Now, many are banding together to speak up and find solutions. ...
Could cannabis be a 'silver bullet' in the fight against the opioid crisis? [24.11.2019] A new study suggests cannabis could be a safer and more effective substitute for opioids in the treatment of chronic pain, but can it help fight the ...
Vancouver pilots new fentanyl-patch program to combat opioid crisis [13.11.2019] A Vancouver physician is prescribing fentanyl to patients with opioid-use disorder in the latest effort by the medical community to curb overdose dea ...
Canada’s drug crisis has a solution. Politicians don’t like it [29.09.2019] A recent study, published in the peer-reviewed journal Addiction, found that a trio of policies adopted to combat the opioid overdose epidemic saved, ...
Without safe injection sites, more opioid users will die [23.05.2019] Ontario is undoubtedly in the midst of an opioid overdose crisis. From January to September 2018, an incredible 1,031 Ontarians died of an overdose. ...
How to legalize every drug [22.05.2019] As Canada continues to work out the kinks of legalizing cannabis—and jurisdictions around the world follow suit—harm reduction advocates and drug pol ...
B.C.’s chief health officer calls for decriminalization of illicit drugs [24.04.2019] British Columbia’s top public health officer is urging the province to decriminalize people who use and possess small amounts of illicit drugs in the ...
Sell regulated heroin to drug users to reduce overdose deaths: B.C. group [21.02.2019] Heroin addicts should be granted access to a clean supply of the drug provided through “compassion clubs” similar to those that provide medical marij ...
Safer opioids actively being reviewed for epidemic: chief public health officer [12.12.2018] Public health officials across Canada are seriously considering increasing the supply of safer opioids to quell a crisis that newly released data sho ...
Withdrawing from drug treaties over legal pot would be a ‘mistake’: Freeland [01.05.2018] Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland is defending the Liberal government’s decision not to withdraw from three international drug treaties, whi ...
Beijing asks Canada to help stem flow of illicit marijuana to China [30.04.2018] Chinese officials have been quietly grilling Canada about illicit marijuana flowing to their country, prompting Ottawa to agree to work with them on ...
Daily cannabis use could delay at-risk youth from moving to higher risk drug use: study [29.03.2018] Consuming cannabis every day could delay at-risk youth from moving on to injecting more dangerous drugs, according to a new study that casts doubt up ...
Vancouver mayor calls for drug decriminalization after record year for opioid overdoses [28.03.2018] Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson is calling for the decriminalization of personal drug use and possession following the release of new numbers that s ...
B.C. pilot project to distribute clean opioids to people at high risk of overdose [20.12.2017] Ottawa has approved a pilot project that will allow health officials in B.C. to distribute clean opioids to drug users to use as they please, marking ...
Supervised injection sites could stop untold opioid-related deaths [01.12.2017] In addition to the legal issues, the heavy stigma around heroin and other opioids driving the nation's overdose crisis can push individuals into the ...
Ottawa approves temporary overdose-prevention sites in bid to address opioid crisis [16.11.2017] Ottawa will let provinces and territories open temporary sites for drug-overdose prevention while their applications for permanent facilities are pro ...
Recognized for controversy, Vancouver's former drug czar says the fentanyl crisis requires legalizing heroin [11.10.2017] “Heroin at your corner store.” That was the title of a speech that Donald MacPherson delivered in acceptance of the 2017 Nora and Ted Sterling Prize ...
Commission makes recommendations for tackling opioid crisis in North America [03.10.2017] The Global Commission on Drug Policy has issued recommendations on tackling North America's opioid crisis, calling for the immediate expansion of har ...
B.C.'s overdose crisis may be 'new normal,' no matter what politicians say [30.09.2017] British Columbia has been in a public health emergency since April 14, 2016. At the time, the government said it was implemented to "help prevent fut ...
Ottawa rejects expert calls to decriminalize illegal opioids [28.08.2017] Ottawa says it has no plans to consider decriminalizing hard drugs, such as heroin, despite calls from local politicians, health officials and expert ...
Canada’s mayors call for speedy approval of proposals to address overdose crisis [25.05.2017] Canada’s big-city mayors are calling for the expedited approval of new supervised drug-consumption sites, improved data collection and the expansion ...
Canada eases steps to open supervised drug injection sites amid opioid crisis [21.05.2017] Canada’s government has made it easier to open supervised drug injection sites across the country, offering communities a lifeline as they battle an ...
Cannabis may help wean people off crack, study finds [16.05.2017] Cannabis has been identified as a potential substitute for users of legal or illicit opioids, but a new Vancouver-based study shows the drug may also ...
Drug controls are 'absolutely pathetic,' activist says regulation will save lives [25.04.2017] A Vancouver based drug policy researcher has been working for decades to get the federal government to regulate illegal drugs like heroin and cocaine ...
Legalize heroin for 'less overdose deaths,’ forensic psychologist tells Vancouver conference [25.04.2017] A forensic psychologist working with the Canadian prison system is calling for “radically different” approaches to B.C.’s overdose crisis, including ...
Ottawa doctor pioneers use of cannabis to help opioid addicts [16.04.2017] The patients at Dr. Mark Ujjainwalla’s methadone clinic are trying to beat their addiction to heroin, narcotic painkillers and other opioid drugs, bu ...
B.C. mulls framework for expanded heroin-assisted treatment [06.04.2017] Prescription heroin, a last-resort treatment for severe addiction currently restricted to only one clinic in all of North America, could one day be d ...
Ottawa moves to facilitate more injection sites as death toll climbs [09.12.2016] Ottawa will introduce a bill that is expected to reduce barriers to opening and operating supervised drug-con­sumption sites in Canada. The move come ...
Vancouver’s safer injection services stalled as overdose death toll mounts [30.09.2016] On Sept. 30, 2011, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled in favour of Vancouver’s Insite, North America’s first legally authorized safer injection site. ...
Safe injection clinic says 90% of clients' heroin had dangerous drug additive [01.09.2016] North America’s only supervised injection site has found that 90% of its clients’ heroin contained the powerful synthetic fentanyl. Vancouver’s Insit ...
Street opioids are getting deadlier. Overseeing drug use can reduce deaths [25.04.2016] As health officials battle increasing mortality associated with heroin and prescription opioids, an even more dangerous group of street drugs has app ...
Vancouver prescriptions for addicts gain attention as heroin and opioid use rises [20.04.2016] Vancouver’s Crosstown Clinic, the only medical facility in North America permitted to prescribe heroin at the center of an epidemic raging across the ...
How Canada got addicted to fentanyl [07.04.2016] The supply chain for illicit fentanyl begins in China, but the problems Canada is experiencing start right here at home: No other country in the worl ...
The OxyContin disaster [24.02.2012] Who is going to clean up the mess OxyContin has left behind in Ontario? Health Minister Deb Matthews' move to delist the addictive prescription paink ...

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