Drugs
Discussing BC’s new drug decriminalization bill
November 9, 2023By: Eden Chipperfield, News Writer Content warning: mentions of substance-use and related deaths. In January of this year, Health Canada announced an exemption to the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act. The Controlled Drugs and Substances Act aims to address the ongoing epidemic of toxic drug deaths within BC and reduce stigma around substance use. The exemption ruled that adults in BC will not be criminally charged if they are found in possession of specific quantities (up to a combined total of 2.5 grams or less) of illegal drugs, such as fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine, and ecstasy. This exemption will be…
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SFU alum addresses the opioid crisis with new life-saving technology
June 9, 2023By: Eden Chipperfield, News Writer Content warning: substance abuse and death caused by drug overdose. Alex McGovern, a SFU alum, is building a new device that will change the climate of the opioid crisis with harm-reduction solutions. With a degree…
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Decriminalization isn’t enough — drug stigma needs to go
February 22, 2023By: Vee Babbar, SFU Student Content warning: mentions of drug use and addiction. BC’s new drug decriminalization laws are a considerable step forward. While some may view this change as too “liberal,” let’s clarify that decriminalization differs from legalization. Essentially,…
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What’s missing from the new Canadian health guidance on alcohol
February 8, 2023By: C Icart, Staff Writer Content warning: mentions of alcohol and sexual violence. The new alcohol guidance is in, and what many Canadians were previously told was moderate drinking is now revealed to be linked to a “number of serious…
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Diving into the importance of drug decriminalization
February 2, 2023By: C Icart, Staff Writer As of January 31, if you are 18 or older in BC, you “will now be able to possess up to a cumulative 2.5 grams of opioids, cocaine, methamphetamine, and MDMA within the province.” Instead…
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Exploring Canada’s racist history of drug prohibition
July 15, 2022By: Olivia Visser, Staff Writer Content warning: anti-Asian racism, anti-Indigeneity, white supremacy, xenophobia, drugs, and drug-related death This month, BC set out to be Canada’s first province to decriminalize the possession of small amounts of drugs starting January 2023. The…
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Vancouver’s drug problem is a student problem too: What you need to know
July 2, 2018By: Victoria Lopatka It is no secret that some university and college students use drugs. A study conducted at UBC found that one in 30 university students have experimented with study drugs while enrolled. When asked about their own study…
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Delay the marijuana legalization date to avoid breaking international law
September 25, 2017By: Aaron Richardson Canada is scheduled to become the second country in the world — after Uruguay, though countries like Spain and South Africa have done it partially — to legalize marijuana. The current date of legalization is scheduled for…
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A hard pill to swallow
January 16, 2017[dropcap]A[/dropcap] 2013 survey conducted by the Canadian Organization of University and College Health found that 90% of students feel overwhelmed by their schedules, and 50% of students reported feeling “hopeless.” All of us experience enormous amounts of stress during our…
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The drug problem Vancouver isn’t dealing with
November 13, 2016The growing problem When you think of frequent drug users, you don't think of students, friends, family — but the reality is, assumptions about drug users in Vancouver is causing the fentanyl crisis to reach its high. In June, drug…
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