Author: Canadian Drug Policy Coalition

  • COVID-19 Safety Tips & Harm Reduction

    COVID-19 Safety Tips & Harm Reduction

    Click HERE for more resources

  • Planning Checklist for Homeless and Housing Services Providers

    Planning Checklist for Homeless and Housing Services Providers

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    This checklist will help you to plan your response to an influenza pandemic, as it might affect your program or facility. The checklist is divided into three sections: service continuity planning; infection control; and pandemic-specific considerations

  • COVID-19 Guidelines for Sex Workers, Clients, 3rd Parties

    COVID-19 Guidelines for Sex Workers, Clients, 3rd Parties

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    The COVID-19 pandemic has placed many sex workers in a particularly difficult situation. Like other precarious workers, sex workers generally cannot access labour protections such as paid sick leave and unemployment insurance. Many of us are experiencing loss of income due to appointment cancellations, decreased demand for services, workplace closures, and sickness. Since sex industry jobs do not offer a salary, sick days, or benefits, there is little to no safety net for sex workers when we are unable to work.

    While social distancing is strongly advised, it is particularly challenging for contact sex workers (full service workers, strippers, massage workers, professional dominants, etc), queer and trans sex workers, Black and Indigenous People of Colour (BIPOC) workers at the margins, and otherwise low-income workers to adhere to these recommendations. This is because the loss of income that would result from such social distancing measures prevents them from working, and makes the difference between affording basic needs such as food, medicine, childcare, rent, etc.

  • Harm Reduction Tips During Corona Virus

    Harm Reduction Tips During Corona Virus

    Click HERE for more COVID-19 resources

  • CDSA Exemption and Interpretive Guide for Controlled Substances

    CDSA Exemption and Interpretive Guide for Controlled Substances


    To maintain Canadians’ access to controlled substances for medical treatments (e.g., treatment of substance use disorders and chronic pain), while they adhere to social distancing guidance from public health officials or if they need to self-isolate, Health Canada has issued the attached exemptions for prescriptions of controlled substances under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA) and its Regulations.

    If permitted within the applicable provincial/territorial scopes of practice, the exemptions:

    • permit pharmacists to extend prescriptions;
    • permit pharmacists to transfer prescriptions to other pharmacists;
    • permit prescribers to issue verbal orders (i.e., over the phone) to extend or refill a prescription; and
    • permit pharmacy employees to deliver prescriptions of controlled substances to patient’s homes or other locations where they may be (i.e self isolating).

    “We strongly encourage all partners to work to implement these exemptions in their jurisdictions and welcome any additional suggestions you may have to maintain Canadians’ access to controlled substances for medical reasons during the pandemic.”

    ~ Health Canada

  • COVID-19: Harm Reduction and Overdose Response

    COVID-19: Harm Reduction and Overdose Response

    Click HERE for more COVID-19 resources

    BC Centre for Disease Controle: We recognize that many of the public health messages being shared on COVID-19 are hard to practice when people
    are living outside, in a tent, in an SRO, or in a shelter. People who use drugs are already doing incredible work to keep communities safe and reduce the spread of infection. We need creative solutions to slow down the spread of COVID19 and protect people who use drugs, have underlying health conditions, and/or may be elderly.

  • APPEL URGENT : Soutenir les personnes qui consomment des drogues et les intervenant-es de première ligne pendant la COVID-19

    APPEL URGENT : Soutenir les personnes qui consomment des drogues et les intervenant-es de première ligne pendant la COVID-19

    Nous assistons actuellement à la collision de deux crises de santé publique : la pandémie dévastatrice de la COVID-19 et la crise d’empoisonnement par des drogues qui ne cesse de causer des décès. Dans la ligne de mire de cette catastrophe sans précédent se trouvent les personnes qui consomment des drogues et les professionnel-les de la santé et de la réduction des méfaits qui leur fournissent du soutien. Contrairement à bon nombre d’entre nous, ces personnes n’ont pas la possibilité de rester à la maison et de s’isoler, car plusieurs n’ont peut-être pas de logis, alors que d’autres effectuent un travail essentiel qui sauve des vies chaque jour.

    En cette période de crise, aidons les personnes qui sauvent des vies et qui ont désespérément besoin de soutien. Nous avons sélectionné cinq organismes de divers endroits du Canada que vous pourriez aider par des dons en argent et en nature. Merci de donner là où vous le pouvez.

    AIDS Saskatoon

    Cet organisme qui sauve des vies fournit des services d’éducation, de défense des droits, de soutien et de sensibilisation aux personnes vivant avec le VIH, le sida ou l’hépatite C, ou autrement affectées par l’un ou l’autre, dans le centre et le nord de la Saskatchewan. Faites un don ici

    Vancouver Overdose Prevention Society (Vancouver, CB)

    Vous pouvez faire un don à la Vancouver Overdose Prevention Society ici. Cet organisme de prévention des surdoses a besoin de thermomètres, de savon, de lingettes pour bébé, de vitamines et d’aliments sains.

    Toronto Overdose Prevention Society (Toronto, ON)

    La Toronto Overdose Prevention Society accepte les dons par le biais de son lien gofundme ou par transfert électronique direct à [email protected]. L’organisme a également besoin d’équipement de protection individuelle (ÉPI) comme des gants, des masques faciaux et du désinfectant pour les mains..

    Boyle Street Community Services (Edmonton, AB)

    Depuis 1971, Boyle Street Community Services soutient des personnes en situation d’itinérance à Edmonton. Vous pouvez faire un don en ligne ici.

    Turning Point Society (Red Deer, AB)

    A room with individual stalls

    Depuis plus de 30 ans, la Turning Point Society répond aux besoins de santé des communautés dans une approche de réduction des méfaits. L’organisme a un besoin urgent de masques et de désinfectant pour les mains. Vous pouvez également lui faire un don en ligne ici

    Autres ressources

    La pandémie de COVID-19 a mis en évidence les failles de notre système de lois et de politiques concernant les communautés marginalisées. En cette période de crise, ayez à cœur la santé et le bien-être des personnes en première ligne et des personnes sans abri ou sans ressources.

    Faites attention à vous et donnez généreusement si vous le pouvez.

  • Guidance on Contingency Planning for People who use Drugs and COVID-19

    Guidance on Contingency Planning for People who use Drugs and COVID-19

    Click HERE for more COVID-19 resources

    This guidance was drafted by the Scottish Drugs Forum in collaboration with the Sexual Health and Blood Borne Virus Prevention Leads Network, co-ordinated by the Scottish Health Protection Network.

    Disclaimer COVID-19 is a rapidly evolving pandemic with national advice and guidance updated regularly. This document is accurate at the point of publication and will be reviewed regularly and updates issued as and when required.

  • VCH Safer Use Strategies to Avoid the Risk of COVID-19

    VCH Safer Use Strategies to Avoid the Risk of COVID-19

    Click HERE for more COVID-19 resources

    Guidance from Vancouver Coastal Health Authority on safer use strategies to avoid the transmission of COVID-19.