Tag Archives: Methamphetamine

Youth

For Teens Who Drink and Do Drugs, Here’s How to Reduce the Harm

Editor’s notes: “In Local Health Area 72 (Campbell River), which includes Cortes and Quadra Islands, 13.5 litres of absolute alcohol are sold per person. This is considerably higher than the Island Health average of 10.9 and the provincial average of 9.0. Given that one litre of absolute alcohol is equivalent to 58 standard drinks, residents of LHA 72 are consuming 783 alcoholic beverages annually, on average” – from the the Cortes Island and Quadra Island profiles

“In Vancouver Island North, which includes Campbell River, Cortes and Quadra Islands, 52% of youth have tried alcohol, compared to 45% provincially. Similarly, 37% of Vancouver Island North youth have tried marijuana, compared to 26% provincially. Tobacco sees a similar trend, with 29% of Vancouver Island North youth trying tobacco, compared to 21% of youth provincially” – from the Cortes Island and Quadra Island profiles

By Michelle Gamage, The Tyee, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

About 40 per cent of Canadian teenagers drank alcohol in the last year and one in five used cannabis, according to a bi-annual Health Canada survey that asks kids about substances. 

The 2021-22 Canadian Student Tobacco, Alcohol and Drugs Survey was filled out by 61,096 kids from Grade 7 to 12 — typically 12 to 17 — in all provinces except New Brunswick, which opted out. This is its 11th year collecting data on tobacco, alcohol, cannabis and drug use. 

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Health, Politics

Municipal governments respond to public drug consumption amid decriminalization project

By Alexandra Mehl, Ha-Shilth-Sa, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

On Jan. 31, 2023, the province of British Columbia decriminalized personal possession of some drugs, which would allot for 2.5 grams of opioid (heroin, morphine, and fentanyl), crack and powder cocaine, methamphetamine, and MDMA (ecstasy) for personal use, for a three year period.

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Health

It’s the ‘Eve of Decriminalization’ for Drug Possession in BC

By Moira Wyton, The Tyee, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

People who use drugs are cautiously optimistic about British Columbia’s forthcoming move to decriminalize possession of some  drugs, but frontline harm reduction groups across the province say  uncertainty about how it will be enforced is hampering their efforts to  prepare.

On Jan. 31, B.C. will  become the first jurisdiction in Canada to decriminalize possession of  small amounts of cocaine, fentanyl, heroin, MDMA and methamphetamine for  personal use. 

Continue reading It’s the ‘Eve of Decriminalization’ for Drug Possession in BC →