Drug addiction

LETTER – B.C.’s liberal drug policy is a rallying cry for the addicted

May 11, 2023 // 1 Comment

I saw your article about the rapid spike in homelessness in Kamloops this spring: ROTHENBURGER: Where is the Magical Mystery Bus bringing homeless here? Same thing is [Continue]

EDITORIAL – Return to Four Pillars a hopeful sign in battle against addictions

May 3, 2023 // 0 Comments

An editorial by Mel Rothenburger. THE FOUR PILLARS are back. Once the centre of a strategy to tackle the drug crisis, the approach has seldom been mentioned in recent years [Continue]

GUEST COLUMN – Twenty years later, where did the Four Pillars go?

April 30, 2023 // 0 Comments

By BOB HUGHES CEO, ASK Wellness Society OUR COMMUNITIES are being ripped apart from the inside out. Across the province, the impacts of the toxic drug supply are demonstrated [Continue]

IN THE LEDGE – ‘When will the premier take concerns about drugs seriously?’

April 25, 2023 // 0 Comments

MLA Todd Stone in Legislature on Monday. (Image: BC Hansard)

Excerpt from Question Period in the B.C. Legislature on Monday, April 24, 2023 during debate between BC United MLA Todd Stone and Mental Health and Addictions Minister [Continue]

EDITORIAL – Where Dr. Carol Fenton and the health system are all wrong

April 25, 2023 // 9 Comments

An editorial by Mel Rothenburger. DR. CAROL FENTON has been taking a verbal beating lately over the drugs-in-parks bylaw issue. Not only is strong pushback coming from within [Continue]

IN THE LEDGE – How does premier justify inaction on drugs in parks?

April 20, 2023 // 0 Comments

Excerpt from debate during Question Period in the B.C. Legislature on Wednesday, April 19, 2023 between Kamloops-South Thomson MLA Todd Stone and Jennifer Whiteside, Minister [Continue]

EDITORIAL – Fires, suitcases and tents, and calls of ‘Enough is enough’

April 17, 2023 // 6 Comments

An editorial by Mel Rothenburger. SO LET’S UPDATE where we’re at. Seven years ago, a public health emergency was declared as drug-related deaths were on the rise. Today, [Continue]

EDITORIAL – Drugs-in-parks bylaw is all about appearing to do something

April 15, 2023 // 0 Comments

An editorial by Mel Rothenburger. JUST BECAUSE something is right, should there be a bylaw for it? As Kamloops City staff begin working on a major amendment to the City’s [Continue]

ROTHENBURGER – Banning drug use in parks is a great idea, but it will likely fail

April 1, 2023 // 2 Comments

WOULDN’T IT BE NICE if we could go for a walk in Riverside Park, or relax in Pioneer Park, without having to put up with people doing drugs? Under the new decriminalization [Continue]

CHARBONNEAU – Brain-injured street people require compulsory treatment

March 30, 2023 // 5 Comments

PIVOT LEGAL SOCIETY is calling on the B.C. government to stop its proposed expansion of forced mental health and addictions treatment. Compulsory treatment must proceed. I [Continue]

CHARBONNEAU – Lab creates buzz with news of cocaine production

March 9, 2023 // 1 Comment

SOMEONE AT Adastra Labs in Langley, B.C., must have been sampling the wares when they announced last Thursday that they would produce, sell, and distribute cocaine. The story [Continue]

LETTER – Government should be ashamed of its record on drug deaths

March 7, 2023 // 0 Comments

TWO HUNDRED AND TEN DEATHS due to overdoses and a poisoned drug supply, here in BC, for the month of January — that’s 6.77 PER DAY!! AND STILL the buzz words from [Continue]

CHARBONNEAU – BC Liberals need a consistent message on drug sites

February 23, 2023 // 1 Comment

BC LIBERAL LEADER Kevin Falcon clarified comments made by a member of his caucus when she said that safe injection sites were a bad idea. Teresa Wat, BC Liberal MLA for [Continue]

IN THE LEDGE – NDP govt burying its head in the sand on decriminalization

February 8, 2023 // 0 Comments

Excerpt from Question Period in the B.C. Legislature today (Feb. 8, 2023): P. Milobar: Not a day goes by that the members on this side of the House aren’t confronted by [Continue]