Public Health

Telegraph hit job a prime example of how not to report on drug policy

The Telegraph story depicts Vancouver's Downtown Eastside in a way that maximizes the harm done to their most vulnerable sources. But as journalists, we don't need to punch down to do our jobs.

Staying ahead of the curve – fentanyl, xylazine and the growing syndemic

Xylazine and other contaminants have made their way into the illicit drug supply complicating overdose response. We cannot afford to sit back and watch what happens.

Apologies are not enough. How Canadian Blood Services can rebuild trust with 2SLGBTQIA+ communities 

Canadian Blood Services, and other health organizations, have the opportunity and moral responsibility to build a better health system for 2SLGBTQIA+ communities.

Involuntary drug treatment: ‘Compassionate intervention’ or policy dead end?

Involuntary treatment for substance use is being proposed as a solution to the toxic drug supply crisis in provinces across the country. But do programs like this work?

Undervalued and underappreciated: Perceptions from future family physicians

Family physicians are integral to a healthy health-care system. But thanks in part to feeling undervalued, fewer medical students are choosing to practice family medicine.

Why are we not using evidence-informed workload management in health care?

Excessive staff workloads lie at the root of the current human resources crisis in health care. With nurses and front-line staff leaving the profession in droves, we need better workload management.

Backlash against call for equity in medicine is misguided

A backlash against EDIA (equity, diversity, inclusion and accessibility) is gripping Canadian medicine. The reasons for this backlash are complex but ultimately misguided.

Cautious, compassionate safe supply is good public policy

Safe supply is not a magic bullet to cure our overdose emergency. However, under cautious guidelines, prescriber-based safe supply initiatives have a role to play in saving lives.

Street harassment is not a joke or a nuisance, it’s a public health threat

Street harassment is often framed as a women’s issue rather than a public health concern. But it can have lasting impacts on adolescents.

Disability and poverty: Funding and structure of new federal benefit unacceptable

The amount being offered to some people with disabilities, $200 per month, is a drop in the bucket in a time of high inflation, rising rents and significant added costs to living with a disability.

‘You just go to the bathroom and cry it out’: Paula, licensed practical nurse, Red Deer

‘These are absolutely the most vulnerable workers’: Charlotte, continuing care assistant, Saskatoon

Avian Influenza: What we know as jump to dairy herds raises concerns

The Avian flu outbreak is a rapidly changing situation. Timely and transparent communication to the public is critical.

The toxic standards that have shaped coverage of drug use in Canada

While a health crisis has unfolded, newsrooms have had to learn to do better. But the changes in framing haven’t always come fast enough or extended to the workers with lived experience

Research on the health harms of fracking questions expansion of this industry

With two more natural gas facilities scheduled to come on line in the next two years in B.C., it's time we consider the harms that fracking poses to public health.

Droplet or airborne? WHO says it’s ‘through the air’ 

The WHO is slowly moving forward on airborne transmission. But language changes seem forced, unnecessary and only seem to benefit those who were unable to use the word "airborne" early in the pandemic.

Is triage a dead end for health care? 

Under pressure, our health-care system is increasingly turning to triage. But has this ubiquitous response started causing more harm than good?

Cycling and safer roads: Improving public health through urban planning

Urban infrastructure has a significant impact on road incident fatalities. Health-care institutions have the ability to help curtail these deaths and improve public health.

Nicotine pouches: Salvation for smokers or temptation for teens?

Instead of being promoted as a smoking cessation tool, nicotine pouches been portrayed by some as an attempt by Big Tobacco to addict a new generation of youth to nicotine, obscuring its life-saving potential.

Leading with the good news in family medicine

Do we want to lead with the good news or the bad news? The tug-of-war about the narrative in family medicine is hurting us.