Safe Injection Sites Canada Wide: A Solution to Tragic Overdoses, But More Needs to Be Done
Safe injection sites are, to say the least, politically controversial. We have one in Vancouver, but the previous government made efforts to shut it down, and when the Supreme Court prevented this, imposed very strict guidelines that many believe would prevent other such sites from opening across the country. We have a new government now, […]
Changing The American Alcohol and Substance Abuse Treatment Facilities With Investment
With over 20 million people in the United States suffering from a substance abuse problem, it’s no wonder that available beds in treatment facilities are scarce. The number of factors involved in helping those addicted to drugs or alcohol are, for lack of a better word, abundant. This poses a serious problem in allocating resources […]
The Reliability of Hair Drug Tests and Their Impact on Criminal and Child Protection Proceedings
Ontario’s child advocate is praising a decision to investigate the reliability of hair drug tests performed at the Hospital for Sick Children. These hair tests are generally used on children to see if their parents or those responsible for them have been abusing them by giving them alcohol and drugs. The test has been considered […]
The Morality Question For Celebrities And Their Drug Use And Abuse
With actors, singers and other celebrities almost flaunting drug use in the western world it begs the question whether we should take our cues, as many often do, from the rich and famous. It doesn’t make sense that anyone would actually start using drugs, smoking or drinking because our favorite celebrities are doing it, we […]
Addiction Doesn’t Always Fit That Mold
This post is personal. I won’t be providing extensive factual backup to why I hold the opinions that I do. This post is about two things: My very limited experience with drugs, and a close family member’s much longer and ongoing battle with drugs and alcohol. Like a lot of teenagers, I tried drugs for […]
Traumatic Brain Injuries, Drugs and Alcohol Could Spell Trouble for Teens and Their Developing Brains
As Canadians, and as lovers of hockey and other contact sports, we hear a lot about concussions and other traumatic brain injuries. There have been calls for years to ban certain violent aspects of these sports for our younger players, but there is always that risk in hockey, football, soccer and others that someone could […]
Canada Should Pay Attention to the Example Set by First Nations When it Comes to Substance Abuse
For many a year the aboriginal population of Canada have been part of a troubling statistic. Aboriginals make up a very large number of those imprisoned in Canadian jails. While aboriginals only make up about 4% of the Canadian population, they account for 23% of federal prisoners. Think about that. 4% of the population accounts […]
Government Funding to Tackle Opiate Use, Abuse, and Addiction Begins With Prevention
If you read the news, especially the health or addiction sections, the topic of opiates is always at the forefront. Whether it be prescription medications or heroin, it seems that someone is always dying from an overdose or someone’s life is being ruined by the addictions that these powerful and potent substances do to people. […]
Parents and Teens Need to Know The Truth About Drugs, Even The Ones They Thought Were Safe
When it comes to teens, the sheer power of curiosity and a sense of rebellion or even adventure to some is enough to push them into the world of drugs and alcohol. To many teens drugs and alcohol come with little to no immediate consequences, which of course isn’t true but is difficult to explain […]