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Safer Drug Use
Safe Supply, OAT, and iOAT
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OPS SCS Services
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Upcoming
- Dec. 8: Addressing HIV and COVID-19: Gaps and opportunities (CATIE)
Completed (Videos)
- Dealing with the delta wave: COVID-19 update for communities affected by HIV (CATIE)
- Variants, vaccines and HIV care: COVID-19 information for people with HIV and their service providers (CATIE)
- The Ontario overdose crisis and the impact of COVID-19 (CATIE)
- Collecting race-based data to address HIV, hepatitis C and other health inequities (CATIE)
- Safe Supply with Dr. Kim Sue
- Community-driven harm reduction programs in Canada (CATIE)
- COVID-19 testing and its intersections with HIV and hepatitis C (CATIE)
- Sex in the time of COVID-19 (CATIE)
- HIV and COVID-19: Public health, clinical and frontline community perspectives (CATIE)
- COVID-19 Substance Use, and Safer Supply: Clinical guidance to reduce risk of infection and overdose (BCCSU)
- What Pharmacists Should Know About COVID-19, Substance Use, and Safe Supply
- COVID-19, Substance Use, and Safer Supply: Clinical Guidance to Reduce Risk of Infection and Overdose in Fraser Health Region
- COVID-19, Substance Use, and Safer Supply: Clinical Guidance to Reduce Risk of Infection and Overdose in Interior Health Region
- Elton John Foundation: COVID-19 Emergency Fund
- Government of Alberta: Enhanced access to Opioid Agonist Therapy (OAT)
- Vancouver Foundation: New Fund to Support Community Through COVID-19
- Funding for sex workers: https://chezstella.org/en/financial-aid-covid-19/
- Calgary Journal, November 9: Opioid overdoses spike during COVID-19, leading to calls for a new approach to harm reduction
- Ottawa Citizen, November 9: Weekend overdose deaths underline increased risks during pandemic
- Global News, October 23: New article examines the compounded harms coronavirus pandemic has on overdose crisis
- Caledon Enterprise, October 18: How COVID-19 created a 'steady spike' of opioid-related deaths in Peel
- CBC, September 23: Opioid overdoses spike amid COVID-19 pandemic, with more than 3 Albertans dying per day
- The Walrus, September 14: The Pandemic is Intensifying the Opioid Crisis
- CBC, September 2: Decriminalization of drugs 'not a silver bullet' for overdose crisis, prime minister says
- Washington Post, August 16: Canada’s other health crisis: As overdoses surge, officials call on government to decriminalize illicit drugs
- CBC (Victoria), August 3: Government-sanctioned safe supply not enough to get some off fentanyl-laced street drugs
- Global (Regina), July 28: Regina’s front-line workers say coronavirus is causing ‘heartbreaking’ battles with addiction
- CBC (Vancouver), July 24: Amid 'horrific' spike in opioid deaths, doctors call for decriminalization, regulation of drugs
- CBC (Winnipeg), July 22: Signs of opioid overdoses surging in Winnipeg during pandemic
- CBC (Newfoundland), July 9: With the pandemic pinching the unregulated market, legal cannabis sales spike in N.L.
- Grand Forks Gazette (Alberta), July 7: Parallel crisis: How COVID-19 exacerbated B.C.’s drug overdose emergency
- Tyee (Vancouver, BC), June 23: Drug Users Call for Safe Supply of Heroin and Cocaine, and Show How It’s Done
- CBC (Thunder Bay, ON), June 22: An epidemic within a pandemic: How Thunder Bay Ont., health care professionals are managing the opioid crisis
- CBC (Montreal, QC), June 19: Montreal's CACTUS safe-injection community group sees more overdoses amid pandemic
- TriCity News (British Columbia), June 19: Rise in overdose deaths linked to COVID-19 pandemic, says Fraser Health
- CBC (Winnipeg, MN), June 17: 'Alarming' signs of pandemic overdose spike emerge in Winnipeg
- BNN Bloomberg (Toronto, ON), June 17: Pandemic has hit hard for B.C.'s opioid crisis: Canadian Drug Policy Coalition
- CBC (Toronto, ON), June 12: Rising overdose death amid coronavirus pandemic
- Star Vancouver (British Columbia), June 12: Fuelled by toxic drugs and COVID-19 isolation, a record number of B.C. overdoses puts spotlight on safe-supply efforts
- CBC (Ontario), June 10: Pandemic worsens Canada's deadly opioid overdose epidemic
- CBC (Ottawa, ON), June 10: CERB benefits contributing to spike in overdoses, outreach workers warn
- Global New (Calgary, AB), May 29: How harm reduction measures are changing under the COVID-19 pandemic
- Global News, May 28: More Canadians are dying of drug overdoses — and coronavirus is to blame
- CBC (Vancouver, BC) May 28: Getting cut off safe supply prescription was like a 'slap in the face,' says Vancouver woman
- Whig Standard (Kingston, ON) May 28: COVID-19: New substances used to cut street drugs much harder to 'reverse'
- Kitchener Today (Ontario) May 25: Harm Reduction Coordinator faces major challenges during pandemic
- infotel.ca (British Columbia) May 25: New overdose prevention app available in Interior Health region
- London Free Press (London, ON), May 22: Sereda: Opening 'the system' to all is best overdose prevention tool
- CBC (Windsor, ON), May 21: Experts concerned substance users might be avoiding care due to COVID-19 pandemic
- Whig Standard (Kingston, ON), May 19: COVID-19: Illegal drug chains being disrupted, leading to 'incredibly toxic' supply in B.C.
- CBC (Ottawa, ON), May 14: Halt drug possession charges during pandemic to stem spike in overdose deaths, advocates say
- CBC (Vancouver, BC), May 12: B.C. moves to 'safe supply' as overdose deaths spike during COVID-19 pandemic
- CBC (Hamilton, ON), May 6: Fears a potent new street drug and lack of naloxone will mean a 'crisis within a crisis'
- iPolitics (Toronto, ON), May 4: Ontario not considering ‘safe supply’ measures, despite spike in suspected overdoses
- Calgary Herald (Calgary, AB), April 30: Fentanyl deaths decline in 2019 but COVID-19 poses new concerns
- National Post (Toronto, ON), April 30: Opioid crisis worsens during pandemic as services for drug users scale back
- London Free Press (London, ON), April 29: 'COVID collateral': Struggles compounded for city's poor, addicted, homeless
- CTV (Vancouver, BC), April 28: Are COVID-19 distancing measures contributing to a spike in overdose deaths in the DTES?
- CBC (Vancouver, BC), April 28: Don't use drugs alone, health experts say, even with physical distancing guidelines in place
- BC Medical Journal Blog (BC), n.d.: Stopping the spread: Managing substance use disorders amid SARS-CoV-2
- Globe and Mail (Vancouver, BC), April 22: British Columbia revises COVID-19 directive that prevents firefighters from attending to most overdose calls
- CTV (Vancouver, BC), April 22: B.C. emergency doctor worries of possible rise in opioid deaths due to COVID-19
- The Conversation, n.d.: Decriminalizing drug use as we contain the coronavirus is the humane thing to do
- National Geographic, April 21: The pandemic may fuel the next wave of the opioid crisis
- Globe and Mail, April 19: Coronavirus pandemic is causing pandemonium in global illicit drug trade
- Ottawa Citizen (ON), April 16: Pandemic 'one crisis too many' for those with opioid addiction
- Vancouver Sun (BC), April 15: COVID-19: Provincial team tackles dual health crises in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside
- CKPG News (Prince George, BC), April 14: ‘Now, we are facing a global pandemic on top of a fentanyl-poisoning crisis,’ says BC Minister
- TriCity News (BC), April 14: Health emergencies: Four weeks for COVID, four years for opioids
- Now Toronto (ON), April 13: Over 300 health-care workers sign open letter demanding more shelter for Toronto's homeless
- Orillia Matters (Orillia, ON), April 13: Application for safe injection site 'takes a back seat' amid COVID-19
- St. Catharines Standard (Niagara, ON), April 13: Positive Living Niagara facing challenges during pandemic
- Globe and Mail, April 10: Pandemic restrictions reshape opioid treatment as doctors sound alarm
- Toronto Star (ON), April 9: Widespread COVID-19 outbreaks in Toronto’s shelters ‘inevitable’ without proper equipment, distancing, says advocacy group
- CTV Vancouver (BC), April 9: Second COVID-19 case confirmed in Vancouver homeless shelter
- News 1130 (Vancouver, BC), April 8: Opioids remain bigger threat in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside than COVID-19: Vancouver Mayor
- Forbes (US), April 5: The Opioid Epidemic Meets The Coronavirus Pandemic—With Potentially Deadly Results
- Vancouver Sun (BC), April 5: Benjamin Perrin and Jordan Westfall: A perfect storm — COVID-19 and the opioid crisis
- Crackdown Podcast (Vancouver, BC), April 4: Apocalypse Prescribing
- CBC (Vancouver, BC), April 3: Will COVID-19 force change in Vancouver's troubled Downtown Eastside neighbourhood?
- Globe and Mail (Vancouver, BC), April 2: B.C. firefighters ordered to attend immediately life-threatening calls only
- Province (Vancouver, BC), April 2: Overdose prevention site suspended due to social-distancing restrictions
- The Tyee (Victoria, BC), April 2: Inside the Struggle to Keep Victoria’s Homeless Safe from COVID-19
- Georgia Straight (Vancouver, BC), April 1: COVID-19: Open letter from DTES frontline workers to Horgan, Dix, Henry, Daly, Stewart, and Darcy—we need more, now
- VICE (Vancouver, BC), March 31: BC Will Prescribe Heroin Alternatives to Slow Overdoses and COVID-19 Exposure
- Daily Hive Vancouver, March 26, COVID-19 highlights the urgency to expand the “safe supply” opioids machine model
- Regina Leader-Post, March 20: COVID-19 shows we need to address homelessness, addiction
- Pipestone Flyer (Red Deer, AB), March 27: Opening Red Deer’s safe consumption site would reduce strain on system during COVID-19, says advocate
- Vancouver Courier, March 27: ‘Safe supply’ of drugs good news in Vancouver, but is it only here for the pandemic?
- CKNW (Vancouver, BC), March 27: Protecting residents of the DTES during the COVID-19 crisis
- VIA (Vancouver, BC), March 24: DTES response launched to protect community from COVID-19
- Globe and Mail, March 26: COVID-19 pandemic pushes B.C. to move forward on safe take-home drug supply strategy
- The Conversation, March 26: How coronavirus is changing the market for illegal drugs
- Vancouver Sun, March 27: COVID-19: Safe-drug supplies part of package as Vancouver addresses Downtown Eastside
- CBC (Vancouver, BC), March 26: Safe supply of drugs for DTES residents given green light by Canadian government, says Vancouver
- National Observer (La Ronge, SK), March 26: La Ronge shelter hangs by a thread amid COVID-19 crisis
- CBC (Vancouver, BC), March 26: Increasing COVID-19 risks in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside
- CBC (Vancouver, BC), March 25 Advocates worry about spread of COVID-19 in the Downtown Eastside as cheque day brings out crowds
- The Star (Calgary, AB), March 23: Calgary relocating homeless from shelters to hotels in effort to limit coronavirus spread
- Victoria News (BC), March 25: Overdose prevention, safe injection sites take extra precautions to mitigate COVID-19
- Ricochet, March 25: Supervised consumption sites scrambling to handle two public health crises at once
- The Tyee, March 24: Drugs Were Already Poisoned. Now COVID-19 Adds a New Threat
- CBC, March 24: East Hastings Street on DTES should be closed to help social distancing among homeless, advocate says
- News 1130, March 24: Dwindling drug supply on DTES drives prices up, leaves users desperate as COVID-19 closes border
- The Coast (Halifax, NS), March 19: Surviving Canada’s overdose crisis under the shadow of COVID-19
- Hamilton Spectator (Hamilton, ON), March 24: Supervised injection sites short protective equipment amid outbreak
- Globe and Mail, March 24: For the homeless, the coronavirus crisis is untenable – but so is the social-distancing response
- VICE (Vancouver, BC), March 20: Supervised Drug Use Will Move Online Amid Coronavirus Pandemic
- Maclean's Magazine, March 25: A safe supply for drug users may be the only way to head off an even greater coronavirus tragedy
- STAT, March 17: COVID-19 will worsen the opioid overdose crisis is we don't prepare now
- Calgary Herald, March 20: Calgary addictions services working quickly to adapt to COVID-19 restrictions
- Ottawa Citizen, March 19: Ottawa's opioid crisis takes a turn for the worse during coronavirus pandemic
- London Free Press, March 20: COVID-19: Crisis confronts Londoners with challenges homeless and people who use drugs face every day, MD says
- Crackdown Podcast, n.d., Crackdown Podcast - Episode 14: Emergency Measures
- United Nations (International), March 18: “Housing, the front line defence against the COVID-19 outbreak,” says UN expert
- Harm Reduction in the Time of Coronavirus
- Social distancing a challenge for people recovering from addictions, says Windsor man
- 'A major issue': Edmonton homeless at serious risk amid COVID-19
- CBC, March 18: WHO clarifies guidance on ibuprofen, says there's no evidence it can worsen COVID-19
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