Experts explore multitude of strategies to curb opioid poisoning crisis
Global News
It's been a deadly year for opioid poisonings in Alberta, and some experts say it's time to bring in new tool, and revisit old ones, to combat the crisis.
An Edmonton doctor helped the province through a deadly crisis in the early 1990s.
Dr. Stan Houston said a game-changing tactic was introduced to help in the fight against HIV — harm reduction.
The infectious disease and HIV doctor helped create resources like a needle exchange program, which proved effective and evolved over the years into safe injection services.
“While people can acquire HIV in several ways, unsafe injection is one of them,” he explained in a letter. “While Albertans can imagine that we encountered some political and ideological objections along the way, there is a growing realization these are necessary public health measures to protect Albertans and reduce health-care pressure.”
Rates of new HIV infections due to injection have declined substantially over the last 30 years, due in part to the programs Houston and his team helped facilitate, as well as improvements to treatment.
“When HIV first hit, Alberta perhaps surprised other provinces by being a leader in making (the necessary drugs) available to anyone who needed them with great success.”
Houston said there are parallels between that crisis and a current one: opioid poisonings.
But the path to help those Albertans looks different.
Run 3 Space | Play Space Running Game
Traffic Jam 3D | Online Racing Game
Duck Hunt | Play Old Classic Game
Premier Tim Houston weighed in on Halifax's bike lane discussion by saying the mayor was 'on the right track' when he tried to get council to pause construction on new lanes.
Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand is calling on Israel and Iran to de-escalate tensions after the former launched strikes at Tehran late Thursday.
The government of Canada has upgraded its safety and security advisory for travellers visiting the Los Angeles area and some other U.S. cities due to ongoing demonstrations.
It could cost nearly $10 billion to build a transmission line that would connect Nova Scotia's proposed offshore wind farms with the rest of the country, Premier Tim Houston says.
Kendrick Lamar stepped onto Drake’s turf on Thursday, playing his first concert in Toronto since the rift between the music superstars went into hyperdrive last year.
A former Nova Scotia police detective says he believes the search for two missing children in Pictou County that has lasted more than a month is now a criminal investigation.
Through public documents, Global News has learned that in most cases, the executives received a 6.7-per cent increase including Interior Health CEO Susan Brown.
The Saskatchewan government has decided to roll back its countermeasures against the ongoing U.S. tariffs, opening up business to the United States.
The idea is one of five being put forward by an Alberta government-appointed committee tasked with studying potential tailings management options.
Prime Minister Mark Carney's office says he's continuing a 'law enforcement dialogue' with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was invited to join in next week's G7 meetings.
The report cites research showing how farmers could increase profits by improving local sales since there would be fewer intermediaries taking a cut.
Canada Post workers will soon be asked to cast their votes on whether to ratify the employer's final offer in the ongoing labour dispute, despite union opposition.
A Vaughan homeowner has been charged after firing a gun at suspects during an attempted break-in and car theft early Tuesday. Five of six suspects are in custody.