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Saving a life is more important than policing small amounts of drug use, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled last month.

Michelle Gamage reports. #ToxicDrugCrisis #canpoli

https://thetyee.ca/News/2025/11/06/Supreme-Court-Wants-You-Call-911-Someone-Overdosing/?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=editorial

Saving a life is more important than policing small amounts of drug use, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled last month. @michellegamage.bsky.social reports. #canpoli #ToxicDrugCrisis

The Supreme Court of Canada Wa...

At least a third of the publicly funded #AddictionTreatment beds #BCgovernment claims are available for drug users across #BritishColumbia do not actually offer treatment, the #IJF has learned.

“B.C. now has 3,645 publicly funded substance-use treatment beds, including 659 beds opened since 2017 with more to come,” the Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions announced in an Aug. 27 press release.

But a breakdown of the available types of adult and youth treatment options provided by the ministry shows that its tally includes 1,232 low-barrier housing beds, accounting for about 34 per cent of the total.

#Addictions treatment is not directly provided in low-barrier housing in B.C., but is part of “a full continuum of support services,” the ministry said in an email to the IJF. This type of facility simply makes shelter available to people who use drugs, without requiring them to abstain or be in treatment.

The news comes as both the #BCConservatives and the #BCNDP government are touting #involuntary addiction care as a solution to the province’s ongoing #ToxicDrugCrisis.

That #political focus is deeply frustrating for Correne Antrobus of #MomsStopTheHarm, an advocacy group led by families affected by tainted illegal drugs.

https://theijf.org/bc-publicly-funded-addiction-treatment-low-barrier-housing

#BCpoli #Medical #PublicHealth #HarmfulPolicy #Cruelty #HumanRights #MentalHealth #AddictionsStigma #MentalIllnessStigma #BreakTheSitgmas #HelpNotHarm #BCNewDeathParty #BCNDPLegacyoOfDeath #FundMentalWellness #FundSocialHousing #NeverVoteConservative #NeverVoteNeoliberal #BCElection2024 #BCVotes2024 #BCelection #CDNpoli

School-based interventions hold the potential to save lives from the #ToxicDrugCrisis, researchers say. 🎒

https://thetyee.ca/Analysis/2024/08/16/Programs-Youth-Toxic-Drug-Deaths/?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=editorial

B.C. First Nation declares local state of emergency due to deaths from toxic drugs
The Tŝilhqot’in National Government declared an emergency for all six Tŝilhqot’in communities, which provided the Nation the opportunity to access additional government support.
#globalnews #Health #toxicdrugcrisis #Tsilhqot'inFirstNation #Tsilhqot'innationalgovernment
https://globalnews.ca/news/10421951/bc-first-nation-local-state-emergency-deaths-toxic-drugs/

Alberta proposes new mental health and addiction agency as toxic drug deaths reach historic high
More than 1,700 people died from toxic drugs between January and November last year, making it the worst year since the province's substance use surveillance system was created.
#globalnews #Health #Alberta #OpioidCrisis #toxicdrugcrisis
https://globalnews.ca/news/10397388/alberta-new-mental-health-and-addictions-agency/

Lawyers for the Vancouver-based compassion club @DULFBC argued last week why Health Canada should have helped it save lives during the ongoing #ToxicDrugCrisis.

Michelle Gamage reports the day in court.

https://thetyee.ca/News/2024/03/14/Renegade-Compassion-Club-DULF-Health-Canada-Support/?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=editorial

@CBCNews

This is not ‘overdose’ it is poisoning, call it what it is.

The solution to a poisoning crisis is safe supply.

#overdose #poisoning #DrugCrisis #ToxicDrugCrisis #ABPoli #CdnPoli

I'm really proud that our community, the entire community, is taking action and proposing solutions to the toxic drug crisis. I feel very grateful that we have Tseshaht First Nation leading us in many ways in this effort.
#ToxicDrugCrisis #PortAlberni #Tseshaht #Hupacasath #Nuuchanulth #Drugs #LegalizeAllDrugs #HelpPeople
https://www.hashilthsa.com/news/2024-02-02/tseshaht-and-alberni-valley-advocate-fully-funded-detox-centre-new-strategy

B.C. chief coroner to provide update on lives lost to toxic drug crisis
Last year was the third in a row that more than 2,000 people died in B.C. from unregulated, toxic drugs.
#globalnews #Health #BCCoronersService #BCoverdosecrisis #toxicdrugcrisis
https://globalnews.ca/news/10247747/toxic-drug-crisis-update-bc/

DULF, the Vancouver compassion club providing tested drugs, was denied its day in court. But global rallies showed up to support. Michelle Gamage reports. #ToxicDrugCrisis #VanPoli #BCPoli

https://thetyee.ca/News/2024/01/17/Rally-Supports-Vancouver-Compassion-Club/?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=editorial