BC Substance Use Conference
Each year, BC Substance Use Conference brings together clinicians, researchers, policymakers, community experts, people with lived and living experience with substance use, and families and caregivers for dialogue and knowledge-sharing on the best evidence-based approaches to substance use, addiction, and drug policy.
In 2024, more than 1,100 people from across BC and Canada attended our 6th annual conference, which centered on the theme "From Idea to Implementation." We're grateful to all of those who attended, presented, and spoke at our conference.
Stay tuned for details on our 2025 conference.
Venue: Vancouver Marriott Pinnacle Downtown Hotel (in-person & virtual)
Theme: From Idea to Implementation: Putting Evidence, Experience, and Ways of Knowing into Action
Learning Objectives:
- Identify approaches for implementing clinical guidance and public health programming that are responsive and tailored to a constantly shifting substance use landscape
- Describe strategies to assess and implement novel substance use treatments and innovative practices
- Describe emerging substance use research and strategies to advance substance use care, policy, programming, and advocacy
- Demonstrate culturally safe and humble approaches to substance use care and research that improve health and social outcomes for Indigenous people who use substances
- Practice person-centered strategies to engage people who use substances and their chosen families in the full spectrum of substance use care based on individual needs, goals, and preferences
The conference programming included sessions across three streams: research, clinical, and community-led streams.
Embedded in these streams were sessions that aimed to highlight wise practices on culturally safe and humble approaches to substance use care and research that improves health and social outcomes for Indigenous people who use substances.
Keynotes:
"Decolonizing and Indigenizing Culturally Safe Substance Use Care, Education, and Research"
Presenter: Dr. Jaris Swidrovich
Dr. Swidrovich is an Assistant Professor at the University of Toronto and a Two Spirit Saulteaux First Nations and Ukrainian man and pharmacist from Yellow Quill First Nation. Dr. Swidrovich is the first and only self-identified Indigenous faculty member in pharmacy in North America.
"Road to Recovery: Way Forward with a Province-Wide Network"
Presenters: Dr. Seonaid Nolan and Angela Thomson
Dr. Nolan is an Associate Professor with the Department of Medicine at the University of British Columbia (UBC) and Medical Director, Provincial Addiction Recovery Treatment and Support (prov-ARTS) Network. She is also the recipient of UBC’s Steven Diamond Professorship in Addiction Care Innovation, and the Division Head for Providence Health Care’s Interdepartmental Division of Addiction. Angela (Ange) Thomson is Sto:lo and Kwakwakaʼwakw and a member of the Indigenous Wellness Liaison Team at Providence Health Care.
Annual Awards
Each year, the BC Centre on Substance Use invites nominations for our annual awards, which are presented at the conference to recognize members of the community who have made significant contributions to substance use care in BC.
The nomination period for 2024 awards is now closed. Please watch this space for updates.
Abstracts Submissions
To showcase the broad range of important work being done in the field of substance use care, BC Centre on Substance Use invites abstract submissions for oral and poster presentations.
Submissions from the following groups are encouraged: Researchers and research teams within and beyond the BC Centre on Substance Use, Regional Health Authorities (RHA), non-profit organizations, and community groups.
Watch this space for updates on abstract submissions for the 2025 conference.