Drug overdose is a growing public health crisis that now kills more adults per year in the United States than motor vehicle accidents. In cars, seatbelts and…
SALOME Participants Need An Exit Strategy
The SALOME study (Study to Assess Longer-term Opioid Medication Effectiveness), is a clinical trial being conducted in Vancouver, BC. The study compares the effectiveness of six months…
Harm Reduction and the Public Good in Victoria, BC
It seems that in Canada, public meetings about harm reduction bring out the best and worst in people. This was certainly the case on Wednesday at a…
Cheap, Easy, and Lifesaving—Naloxone Treatment for Overdose
How much does it cost to save a life? That question got a clear and striking answer this week in the case of overdose from heroin in the…
The Missing Link in Overdose Prevention
Long-established medical practice supports prescribing pre-loaded syringes of epinephrine to people having severe, life-threatening allergic reactions to allergens such as bee stings, nuts and shellfish. Patients, including…
Supervised Consumption Services and Community Support
Supervised injection sites help save lives and protect communities. This was the conclusion of over 30 research studies on Vancouver’s own supervised injection site (SIS) known as…
The Drug War in Your Passport
On October 18th, 1929, the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council in England, the highest court in Canada at the time, made a landmark decision that would…
What is Naloxone?
This post was updated on July 7, 2017 Naloxone is a safe, highly effective chemical compound that reverses the effects of opiates such as heroin. It has been…
International Overdose Awareness Day: People’s Lives Matter
“We also hear from many parents of drug users who have saved their own sons and daughters. Often when people shoot drugs, it happens near relatives rather…