A frontline perspective on opioids: shifting user demographics and drug sources

A small child empties a prescription bill bottle on to a counter.

By Jenna Finley, Biology and Life Sciences editor Editor’s note: this post is the second in a two-part series by Jenna Finley on Canada’s opioid crisis. Check out Part 1 here. The characteristics of the opioid epidemic have evolved over time. The people who take these drugs, the sources of the drugs, and even their […]

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When the opioid epidemic met the coronavirus pandemic

Opioids are prescribed as painkillers. Over prescription can lead to addiction or worse. Photo by Halacious, on Unsplash, CC0.

Sonja Soo, Communications, Education & Outreach editor The opioid crisis in Canada has been a public emergency since 2016. According to the Government of Canada, there have been more than 22,000 opioid toxicity deaths in the last five years. The COVID-19 pandemic has worsened opioid-related deaths in Canada – in the months that followed the […]

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Drug treatment and policy: Lessons from abroad

Pixabay CC0

Braydon Black, Science and Society co-editor The opioid crisis is having a devastating impact on individuals and communities across North America. The problem can be traced back to the late 1990s, when pharmaceutical companies began to market the drugs as a non-addictive treatment for chronic pain. Opioids became over-prescribed, leading to widespread use and overuse. […]

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