Tag: Harm reduction

Choice over coercion: A call for voluntary care

Despite what many may think due to the recent spotlight on the expansion of involuntary treatment in British Columbia, involuntary treatment for substance use already happens in B.C. Involuntary treatment refers to psychiatric treatment that is administered to a person without their consent and it is usually used for those with mental health and/or substance use health issues. It can happen under various acts in B.C., including the Mental Health Act. Of people detained and involuntarily treated under the B.C. Mental Health Act, 1 in 5 have a primary diagnosis of substance use disorder. This makes substance use disorder the...

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Poll shows 53% of Canadians support harm reduction

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...

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The Safer Municipalities Act: A misguided approach to public safety

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...

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Beyond the tip of the iceberg: Brain injury after drug poisoning

The toxic drug crisis has claimed the lives of tens of thousands of Canadians. However, non-fatal drug toxicity events (also called overdoses) are much more common than fatal events. Brain injury is a lesser known harm related to drug toxicity that can happen when people survive a drug poisoning event. A brain injury affects how the brain works. It can occur during a drug toxicity event because breathing slows down or stops and there is a lack of oxygen to the brain. CATIE spoke to Shanell Twan, assistant manager at Streetworks, a harm reduction program in Edmonton, and Dr. Kaylynn...

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Reflections on 20 years of harm reduction in British Columbia

Harm reduction has many definitions but in essence is an evidence-based and person-centred approach that seeks to reduce the harms associated with substance use. It provides people who use drugs with resources to make healthier and safer choices without insisting on abstinence. I have worked in harm reduction and substance use for 20 years, including 18 years as medical lead for harm reduction at the BC Centre for Disease Control. During that time, I was privileged to collaborate with many compassionate colleagues across different sectors and alongside the experts, people with lived and living experience of substance use. In the...

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How can supervised consumption services and overdose prevention sites better meet the needs of racialized women and gender expansive people?

Supervised consumption services (SCS) and overdose prevention sites (OPS) are proven to reduce harms and save lives. However, certain communities like racialized women and gender expansive people (e.g., transgender, gender nonconforming, non-binary and Two-Spirit people) can encounter barriers to accessing these services. To find out what is needed to make SCS and OPS more accessible to these communities, CATIE spoke with Cassandra Smith, knowledge translation lead at the Dr. Peter Centre. What are some barriers to SCS and OPS that racialized women and gender expansive people report? One barrier I hear consistently is lack of safety. This could be in...

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