National

B.C. ends take-home safer supply of opioids to stop criminal diversion

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 19 Feb, 2025 02:17 PM

British Columbia's health minister has announced that the province is changing its safer-supply anti-addiction program to a witnessed model, in which users will be watched as they consume the drugs.

Josie Osborne says the "significant" change to end the take-home model will be difficult for some, but is designed to reduce the criminal diversion of prescribed alternatives to illicit street drugs.

Osborne says health care workers will watch the consumption of prescribed alternatives, including the opioid hydromorphone, with the change effective immediately.

She also provided an update on an investigation into "bad actors" among pharmacies that are allegedly contributing to diversion and paying illegal kickbacks to drug users and doctors.

Osborne says roughly 60 pharmacies are believed to be involved and "every single one of them" will be investigated.

The announcements come about two weeks after the release of a leaked Ministry of Health briefing for police that said a "significant portion" of opioids prescribed in B.C. were being diverted, and prescribed alternatives were being trafficked provincially, nationally and internationally.

Prev Next

MORE National ARTICLES

B.C. homicide team investigates beating death of a 19-year-old man

Homicide investigators are looking into an attack on a 19-year-old man that started in Abbotsford, B.C., then led officers to Crescent Beach in Surrey more than 45 kilometres away. Officers were called on Jan. 27 to an area on Victoria Street in Abbotsford when witnesses were reporting that a man was assaulted and then taken away in a vehicle.

B.C. homicide team investigates beating death of a 19-year-old man

Booing of U.S. anthem continues at Canadian sporting events despite tariff pause

Canadian sports fans continued to voice their displeasure at American economic policies on Tuesday despite a pause in a trade war between Canada and the United States. Fans at Toronto's Scotiabank Arena booed during the U.S. national anthem before the Raptors hosted the New York Knicks on Tuesday.

Booing of U.S. anthem continues at Canadian sporting events despite tariff pause

B.C. fast-tracking 18 mining and energy projects in face of U.S. tariff threat

The British Columbia government has released a list of 18 critical mineral and energy projects worth roughly $20 billion that it said it's working to accelerate in the face of ongoing tariff threats from the United States. The list contains mining projects that have received pushback from some B.C. and Alaskan First Nations groups, including Eskay Creek, Highland Valley and Red Chris mines.

B.C. fast-tracking 18 mining and energy projects in face of U.S. tariff threat

Fraudsters try a new method to steal bank cards in Langley

Langley R-C-M-P are warning the public about a new attempt to steal bank cards by fraudsters. The scheme includes calling the victim first to warn them someone is trying to tamper with or compromise their card, then arriving at the victim's house to "collect" the tainted card.

Fraudsters try a new method to steal bank cards in Langley

Edmonton city council votes to restrict the sale of knives in convenience stores

City council has passed a bylaw that restricts the sale of knives in Edmonton convenience stores. Mayor Amarjeet Sohi says convenient and quick access to knives makes the community less safe.

Edmonton city council votes to restrict the sale of knives in convenience stores

4 found dead on a First Nation home

Police say four people have been found dead in a home on the Carry the Kettle Nakoda Nation in southern Saskatchewan. RCMP say officers with the File Hills Police Service were called to the home, where they found the bodies.