Substance Use News provides a monthly collection of news and resources on the social, medical and political responses to the toxic drug supply crisis and harm reduction. To get the latest toxic drug safety alerts, visit Info for People Who Use Substances page from Toward the Heart. Get weekly substance use news by subscribing to our newsletter: scroll to the bottom of the page to sign up. You can also visit our Substance Use and Harm Reduction page for more resources.
In the News
Bankers, athletes, students are using drugs. This hotline tries to keep them safe
Since the National Overdose Response Service (NORS) launched nearly five years ago, it’s been reaching drug users who wouldn’t typically use consumption and treatment sites. “Our mandate at NORS is to keep people alive while they’re using substances,” said Lisa Morris-Miller, the executive director of the hotline. “We do know that a lot of people are hidden substance users,” said Monty Ghosh, an addictions physician in Alberta and a NORS researcher. “It could be that they’re afraid of losing their job, they’re afraid that the family might leave them, they’re afraid that the children might get taken away from them.” Ghosh says that’s where the hotline comes in. (June 28, 2025)
Opioid-free pain-management options support construction industry workers
Men in trades are overrepresented in the number of illicit drug poisoning deaths in British Columbia. “People in the construction industry need specialized supports with mental-health and substance-use challenges,” said Josie Osborne, Minister of Health. “By continuing to fund the Opioid-Free Pain Clinics by Construction Industry Rehabilitation Plan, we are expanding access to safer pain-treatment options that support recovery from injuries, reduce harm and improve overall well-being.” In spring 2025, the Ministry of Health provided $160,000 to the Construction Industry Rehabilitation Plan (CIRP) for its Opioid-Free Pain Clinics, which provide pain-management options for construction workers and offer evidence-based approaches to pain relief without pharmacological interventions. (June 27, 2025)
BC toxic drug deaths increase after months-long downward trend: coroner
The number of deaths from unregulated toxic drugs in British Columbia spiked in April, according to data from the province’s Coroners Service. “Consistent with reporting throughout the public-health emergency, fentanyl and its analogues continue to be the most common substance detected in expedited toxicological testing,” a summary from the BC Coroners Service said. Men continue to account for more than three quarters of fatalities and the majority of deaths – 78 per cent – continue to occur indoors. (June 24, 2025)
Summer Webinar Series from Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction
The Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction is hosting a series of webinars focused on answering questions about improving substance use health at the community level. Small cities often have fewer resources to address substance use issues than larger centres, yet there are many innovative ways to approach and adapt solutions to their unique needs. Starts June 26.
First-of-its-kind in Canada, First Nations healing centre breaks ground
The new North Wind Wellness Centre (NWWC) will have 55 spaces and will integrate First Nations healing practices with clinical care to support people at all stages of recovery. The NWWC will provide five detox beds, 10 addiction treatment beds, 40 self-contained supportive housing units and the Junction, a recovery-based community centre at the heart of the complex that will serve as a resource hub for those in treatment. (June 19, 2025)
BC court certifies Canada-wide class-action suit against McKinsey for alleged opioid promotion
The BC Supreme Court has certified a Canada-wide class-action lawsuit against consultancy firm McKinsey & Company as part of ongoing legal efforts by the province to recover health-care costs relating to the toxic drug crisis. According to the province, McKinsey helped design campaigns for Canadian pharmaceutical companies that made false claims about opioids to prescribers and the public — ultimately causing an over-prescription of addictive drugs and harming those who used them. (June 17, 2025)
More Overdose Prevention Sites Likely Coming to Hospitals Across BC
British Columbia is setting things in motion to build more overdose prevention sites at hospitals, adding to the nine sites that are already open at hospitals like Surrey Memorial and St. Paul’s, according to the Health Ministry. A group of doctors who have been advocating for Island Health to open overdose prevention sites in hospitals say they’re cautiously optimistic. (June 11, 2025)
New overdose prevention service standards will strengthen safety
On June 5, 2025, the BC government released the new minimum service standards for overdose prevention services to strengthen safety and support for clients, staff and communities. The standards provide a framework for better integration of overdose prevention services into communities focusing on quality, accessibility and cultural safety. Many overdose prevention services already meet and exceed these minimum standards. (June 5, 2025)
Education and Research
Safe Supply Mirrors Methadone Outcomes, With Better Retention
Safe supply improved most health outcomes for people who use opioids as effectively as methadone, found a new study out of Ontario, Canada—when recipients were more likely to stick with it. The study, published in the Lancet in May, contributes to a growing body of research showing how safe opioid supply (SOS) reduces harms.
Impact of alternative income assistance disbursement on substance use disorder treatment adherence among people who use drugs
The synchronized disbursement of income assistance payments is associated with increased drug-related harms and substance use disorder (SUD) treatment interruptions. Desynchronizing and splitting these payments can mitigate escalations in drug use, suggesting that downstream effects on SUD treatment may be impacted as well. To understand the effect of desynchronizing and splitting income assistance payments on treatment patterns, including adherence to medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD).
Primary care physician characteristics associated with becoming opioid agonist treatment prescribers in British Columbia: a retrospective case-control study
Opioid agonist treatment (OAT) is the gold standard of care for patients living with opioid use disorder. Since 2016, efforts to expand OAT access have focused on primary care physicians. This study aimed to understand how OAT-prescribing-naïve primary care physicians who began prescribing OAT differed from their peers who did not. Understanding the differences between physicians who become OAT prescribers and peers who do not is critical to effectively target interventions to improve OAT access in the future.
New non-opioid molecule could relieve chronic pain for weeks
A new molecule acts like a local, long-lasting anesthetic, providing robust pain relief for up to three weeks, according to the results of preclinical studies.
An Invisible Crisis: Brain Injury From Non-Fatal Overdose
Harms related to drug overdose are not limited to death. Dr. Mauricio Garcia-Barrera of University of Victoria is interested in tracking brain injury in relation to overdose: “We really wanted to have a conversation about the intersections between brain injury, mental health and addictions, ‘cause we notice it’s very common, but not so common to talk about it,” Garcia-Barrera said.
Novel adulterants in unregulated opioids and their associations with adverse events
In recent years, Canada’s unregulated drug supply has become permeated by novel adulterants (e.g., fentanyl analogues, benzodiazepines, xylazine). While fentanyl has been shown to be associated with overdose mortality and other non-fatal health outcomes, adverse events (AE) associated with these adulterants remain poorly described. This study seeks to identify whether common adulterants identified through drug checking services are associated with increased prevalence of specific adverse events reportedly experienced by people who use drugs.
Visit the BC Centre for Disease Control’s Unregulated Drug Poisoning Emergency Dashboard for provincial data from different sources.
Visit the BC Centre on Substance Use for information on evidence-based approaches to substance use care and harm reduction.
Visit the National Safer Supply Community of Practice (NSS-CoP), whose goal is to scale up safer supply programs across Canada.
Visit the Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research site for research on aclohol and substance use.
Questions? Feedback? Get in touch. Janet Madsen, Capacity Building and Digital Communications Coordinator, [email protected]