The latest news articles featuring BC Centre on Substance Use.
Ian Mulgrew: Fentanyl jail terms a Dickensian error walked back by B.C. court
October 05, 2022 | Vancouver Sun
A B.C. Court of Appeal division has tiptoed back the embarrassing 18-month minimum jail term it recommended five years ago for fentanyl trafficking to combat the nascent opioid crisis. The impugned 2017 ruling failed to stem the burgeoning deaths from toxic drugs and has wrought injustice — impr...
Safer Opioid Supply Program in Canada Helps Those Who Face Overdose Risks
September 27, 2022 | Medscape
The Safer Opioid Supply (SOS) Program near Toronto, Canada, appears to be a safe and effective harm-reduction initiative, according to new data. An analysis indicates that the program is associated with a reduction in emergency department visits, hospitalizations, and overall healthcare costs. In a...
Benzodiazepines found in 55 fatal overdoses in July as contamination mounts in B.C.
September 23, 2022 | CBC News
The memory might be hazy, but Hugh Lampkin says he will never forget the day he unwittingly took benzodiazepine in a desperate attempt to alleviate severe pain in his back. He thought he was taking heroin, before collapsing head-first onto a steel safe in a back room at the Vancouver Area Netwo...
‘This program’s really saved us’: As Canada offers safer opioids to curb overdoses, will U.S. follow?
September 21, 2022 | STAT News
TORONTO — The Finks, married just a month earlier, sat down for their appointment, Kim dressed in head-to-toe pink and Chris in all black. He was taciturn, while she joked she couldn’t stop talking long enough to have her blood pressure taken. Jouvence Tshiyoyo Bukumba, a nurse, asked Kim, 46, a...
Safer opioid supply program leads to drop in hospitalizations, ER visits: study
September 19, 2022 | CTV News Toronto
Safe opioid supply programs can significantly cut down on emergency department visits and hospitalizations for people at high risk for overdose, new research from Ontario suggests. A study published Monday in the Canadian Medical Association Journal examined people who used a safer opioid supply pro...
