Substantial economic growth in the psychedelic drugs market has drawn interest from corporations and start-ups. While this may accelerate research, it also sparks concerns about conflicts of interest.
Photographs of victims of overdose are displayed to mark International Overdose Awareness Day, in Vancouver, on Aug. 31, 2023.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
Climate change is seeing more of us with mental health problems and harmful substance use. So we need to start planning now.
People mourn loved ones who have died from drug overdoses before replica tombstones in Binghamton, N.Y., on Aug. 19, 2023.
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Presidents have family drama, like all other people. Hunter Biden is simply the latest example of a family member who has brought negative attention to a president’s administration.
A man waits to enter a supervised consumption site at a health centre in Calgary, Alta., in August 2021.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh
Instead of forcing people into substance use treatment, provinces should work with municipalities and health boards to expand life-saving safe use sites and tackle the housing crisis.
A man runs past shoes hung on the Burrard Bridge in Vancouver in remembrance of victims of illicit drug overdoses on International Overdose Awareness Day in August 2020.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
Decriminalization helps recharacterize drug addiction as a chronic health condition instead of a criminal activity, reduces the stigma associated with drug use and improves treatment options.
Involuntary treatment for homeless people aims to help – but also raises ethical debates.
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Supervised consumption sites provide essential community connections and services for those who use them. By closing them, governments are risking the welfare of people who use drugs.
Risk of hospitalisation was higher in the same month their parent died, as well as during the two months following.
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In men alone, the risk of being hospitalised due to suicidal behaviour one year after losing a parent was 218% greater than in people who hadn’t lost a parent.
The 988 Lifeline will connect callers with specialists trained to assist with mental health crises, including psychotic symptoms and substance abuse.
New federally funded mental health help line features easier access and more consistent regulation.
Naloxone can prevent deaths from opioid overdose, but there is no way to reverse the effects of benzodiazepine overdose without risk.
(THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward)
Fentanyl adulteration led to the replacement of heroin in the unregulated drug supply of British Columbia. Now that benzodiazepines are present in many opioids, are we headed towards a ‘new normal?’
Beer, wine and hard liquor are causing nearly 100,000 U.S. deaths a year.
AP Photo/Rick Bowmer
Consuming alcohol makes accidents more likely and it can harm your heart, your liver and even change your brain. But making the sale of beer, wine and hard liquor illegal flopped.
Significant reform of youth mental health care in Canada is needed to address the high rates of mental illness in young people.
(Unsplash/Devin Avery)
High rates of youth mental illness show the urgent need for accessible, affordable and research-backed mental health care. It’s crucial to include young people’s voices in shaping these resources.
During Mental Health Week, let’s look at why some people, such as those experiencing depression or substance dependency, struggle to make decisions like everyone else.
COVID-19, says the author, has had a significant impact on the mental health of millions of Americans.
Getty Images / Jules Ingall