Category: News | CATIE Blog

Health workers shouldn’t have to go to court to stop online abuse

September 15, 2025 • By Andrew Brett

Last month, CATIE won a landmark $1.75M defamation case against an individual who undertook a sustained online hate campaign against our staff and volunteer board members. The attacks were driven by our commitment to publishing sexual health information and, as the judge acknowledged, by homophobia. The decision affirms that this kind of abuse is unlawful. But it also highlights a systemic failure: we should never have had to go to court to defend our right to do our work. We are not alone. Other HIV organizations and public health workers were defamed by the same individual. 2SLGBTQIA+ health advocates continue...

Global lessons on harm reduction policy and practice: Interview videos from the Harm Reduction International Conference

August 5, 2025 • By Christopher Hoy

CATIE attended the recent Harm Reduction International Conference (HR25) in Bogotá, Colombia. This long-running conference brings together researchers, health workers, policymakers and community experts from around the world. Four days of presentations, workshops, networking and art installations created a dynamic forum to share research and practice on harm reduction, drug policy and human rights. Organized around the theme “Sowing Change to Harvest Justice”, the conference explored the intersections of social justice, equity and peace in the context of drug policy. CATIE spoke with presenters and attendees to hear key perspectives and learnings on three themes from HR25: harm reduction and...

Building the foundations for effective syphilis testing in Indigenous communities

June 25, 2025 • By Melissa Morris and Sugandhi del Canto

Syphilis is a preventable and curable sexually transmitted infection (STI) but the only way to know for sure whether or not someone has syphilis is to get tested. Amid a national syphilis epidemic, where some regions and communities are hit harder than others, access to screening and diagnosis is crucial to ending this public health threat in Canada. Syphilis rapid testing Syphilis rapid testing is a promising tool that can help reach our goals but what is it exactly and why is it important? Syphilis rapid testing detects antibodies in a blood sample and provides results within minutes, making testing...

Poll shows 53% of Canadians support harm reduction

May 12, 2025 • By Andrew Brett

A new Canadian public opinion poll commissioned by CATIE shows public support for harm reduction programs outweighs opposition by more than two to one, and half of Canadians want to see more of these services. Harm reduction programs like needle and syringe programs, naloxone distribution, supervised consumption services and overdose prevention sites were created to support the health of people who use drugs. They prevent HIV and hepatitis C, respond to overdoses and link people to a broad range of treatment and care services. With more than 50,000 deaths across Canada from apparent opioid toxicity since 2016, harm reduction is...

HIV criminalization and the Canadian government’s failed law reform project: Another. Incredible. Disappointment. Surprise!

April 2, 2025 • By Chad Clarke with contributions from Colin Johnson

The Government of Canada has broken its promise to reform the laws that criminalize people living with HIV. In November 2024, the Federal Justice Minister’s office informed the Canadian Coalition to Reform HIV Criminalization (CCRHC) that the federal government’s long-promised initiative addressing the “overcriminalization” (their term) of HIV was not going to move forward. This announcement came after almost a decade of difficult work on the part of the HIV community. Blood, sweat and tears and some lives were lost while we worked on developing a workable consensus statement that would satisfy a majority of Parliament. The government squandered time,...

The Safer Municipalities Act: A misguided approach to public safety

March 26, 2025 • By Sean LaPrairie

The Safer Municipalities Act, introduced as Bill 242 by Premier Doug Ford on December 12, 2024, consists of two major legislative components that target Ontario’s homeless population and people who use drugs. The first part, the Restricting Public Consumption of Illegal Substances Act, creates new punishments for individuals consuming or “believed to be consuming” illegal substances in a public place. The second part of the Act amends the Trespass to Property Act, adding aggravating factors to be considered when sentencing for a trespassing offence, which can raise the severity of punishment. This Bill is framed as an effort to enhance...