The latest news articles featuring BC Centre on Substance Use.
‘In a way, stigma is the leading cause of death’: the radical plan to tackle British Columbia’s overdose epidemic
March 07, 2024 | The Guardian
When Traci Letts finally found the perfect shoes for her son Mike – a pair of white Nike trainers with a splash of green – the store didn’t have the right size. So she went to another. “They had to be just right,” she said. “He always wanted to dress well.” The high-top shoes completed...
Study Finds DULF Reduced Overdoses by Distributing Tested Drugs
March 05, 2024 | The Tyee
Research first published informally by Vancouver’s Drug User Liberation Front has now been published in a peer-reviewed international journal. DULF bought heroin, cocaine and methamphetamine from online sources known to sell purer forms of these drugs, rigorously tested the drugs and then sold t...
Young people at the centre of the toxic drug crisis
February 28, 2024 | UBC News
Vancouver may be considered by many as the “best place” to live, but many young people living in the city are facing unprecedented challenges that are making their futures more precarious than ever. Hundreds of youth who call Vancouver home are standing at the intersection of a housing affordabi...
Former Vancouver safe supply program saved lives, new research says
February 23, 2024 | Vancouver Sun
Substance-users who got drugs vetted for fatal contaminants from a now-closed compassion club significantly reduced their overdose rates, keeping them alive during the fatal drug overdose crisis, says a University of B.C. professor involved in newly released research. The findings, published Thursda...
Youth face barriers to overdose harm reduction, say front-line workers
February 23, 2024 | Yahoo News Canada
With the toxic drug crisis as the leading cause of death for British Columbians aged 10 though 59, nearly 170 youth, aged 18 and under, have lost their lives since 2017. According to experts, not enough research and monitoring has been done to assess the impacts of the crisis on young people, who al...
