Orca Lelum’s leaders say the delays they have faced launching an Indigenous youth detox program reflect broader problems with Indigenous program funding
Author Archives: Alexandra Keeler
Alexandra Keeler is a Toronto-based reporter focused on covering mental health, drugs and addiction, crime and social issues. Alexandra has more than a decade of freelance writing experience.
Posted inDrugs
B.C. poll reveals clash between Indigenous views and drug policy
A supermajority of First Nations respondents disagree that criminalizing drug use is racist, challenging public health advocates’ assumptions
Posted inThe Interview
A conversation with the Alberta premier’s outgoing chief of staff
Marshall Smith, the architect of Alberta’s recovery-focused drug policies, on what he has learned as an addict and policy leader and what’s next for him
Posted inDrugs
B.C. crime survey reveals distrust in justice system, regional divides
A majority of survey respondents believe B.C. crime rates are up — and often unreported. Yet, official crime data show the opposite
Posted inDrugs
B.C. mayors voice discontent over province’s response to drug crisis
A number of B.C. mayors say the province’s drug decriminalization project has been a failure — and they are not confident involuntary care will address the problem
Posted inDrugs
‘We just hand out pills’, father of overdose victim tells MPs about safer supply programs
In a House committee meeting Tuesday, grieving father Gregory Sword provided a poignant account of the problems with safer supply
Posted inDrugs
A city divided: Homelessness and drug crisis fuel tensions in Nanaimo
As homelessness and addiction rates climb, Nanaimo grapples with a deepening divide over how to balance public safety and compassionate care
Posted inDrugs
BC NDP, Conservatives’ drug policies converge in close election
The BC NDP and Conservatives have both pledged to introduce involuntary care for addicts as they contend for voter support on an unpopular issue
Posted inDrugs
Quebec’s drug landscape shifts with rise in opioid-related deaths
In Quebec, there has traditionally been a preference for stimulants over opioids. But researchers say this trend is shifting — to deadly effect
Posted inDrugs
B.C. parents powerless to help their addicted teens
Parents say the province’s safer supply program and youth treatment framework prevent them from getting help for their kids