In the midst of a public health crisis, with increasing rates of death from opioid overdose, the Ontario government is clawing back life-saving measures.
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A policy response focused on reducing prescription opioids will not resolve North America's opioid crisis. And it is hurting many adults who live with otherwise unbearable chronic pain.
Most medical historians agree that one of the most important advances in medicine was the use of ether to numb pain during surgery. Just who deserves credit for this has been another story.
In the wash-up of the G20 meetings, it seems China has come away with the better deal – at least for now.
Canadian hospitals are ill-equipped to deal with the inpatient opioid crisis. Lack of specialist addictions care puts patients and staff at risk.
Many people may misunderstand the basics about opioids. That prevents researchers from understanding the full scope of the epidemic.
One study argues that naloxone increases opioid use because it protects against death from overdose. But a closer analysis shows Narcan is the number one public health tool to fight the overdose epidemic.
Opioids kill 100 people each day in the US, more than vehicular accidents. Those addicted are often left without treatment. An addiction researcher offers six steps to address the epidemic.
Catastrophic increases in opioid overdose deaths across Canada require a broad response -- tackling housing, food and income insecurity as well as the contaminated drug supply.
Small quantities of drugs are getting past customs and then being used to create much bigger batches of illegal drugs like synthetic heroin.
As Canada moves towards legalization of cannabis in 2018, there is growing evidence of the drug's potential to treat opioid addiction itself, as well as the chronic pain that often drives it.
UK must now respond to arrival of fentanyl, which has for years been a major drug problem in the US and Canada.
Synthetic opiates are a growing problem.
One in five Canadians suffers chronic pain and almost 2,500 died last year from opioid overdose. A National Pain Strategy promises to tackle both problems.
Scientists have never found a medicine to help crack users who want to decrease their consumption. Canadian researchers think cannabis might be the answer.
Carfentanil is an ultra-potent synthetic opioid. Its only legitimate use is in veterinary practice for large animals such as elephants, but it sneaks into heroin shipments to increase its potency.
It is thought that in 2002 fentanyl, or a drug based on fentanyl, was used by Russian special forces to disable Chechen rebels after a four day stand off in the Dubrovka theatre in Moscow.
Prince’s death was recorded as accidental. Accidents are common when it comes fentanyl, a powerful pain killer 100 times stronger than morphine.
Top contributors
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Research Scientist, BC Centre on Substance Use and Assistant Professor in the Division of AIDS, UBC Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia
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Chair Professor, Australian National University
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Associate Professor | Program Director, Undergraduate Pharmacy, University of Sydney
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Associate Professor, University of York
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Associate Professor of Population Health, New York University Langone Medical Center
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Emergency Medicine Consultant, Australian National University
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Director Leverhulme Research Centre for Forensic Science, University of Dundee
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Senior research fellow, Charles Sturt University
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Professor in Substance Use, Liverpool John Moores University
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Tony Walker is a Friend of The Conversation.
Adjunct Professor, School of Communications, La Trobe University
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Postdoctoral Fellow and clinician-scientist with the BC Centre on Substance Use and UBC Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia
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Associate Professor of Medicine, Insitute for Work and Health, University of Toronto
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Senior Lecturer in Forensic Chemistry, University of Dundee
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PhD student in Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia
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Research Assistant, Cybercrime Observatory, Australian National University
