"Dr Tim Stockwell of the Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research says those who continue to drink may simply be those who have not yet become unwell." via @economist.com www.economist.com/christmas-sp...

Withdrawal? Crime? Other drug use? A comprehensive review of minimum unit pricing found these fears don’t materialise – while health benefits do. In our latest blog, Dr James Clay of @uviccisur.bsky.social explains. www.ias.org.uk/2025/12/18/m...

This is a recent paper by CISUR researchers! "Findings revealed that the mean daily MAP-provided alcohol consumption dropped from 8.08 to 6.45 standard drinks following the program’s introduction."

CISUR's #KnowAlcohol project is part of this list! Stay tuned for another campaign coming in January =)

"According to Timothy Stockwell, a scientist at the Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research, reducing alcohol consumption can significantly reduce a person’s risk of developing or worsening chronic diseases associated with drinking." www.advisory.com/daily-briefi...

“There’s a lot of public misunderstanding of what decriminalization was intended to do." Because the government put no effort or resources into properly explaining what it might reasonably do. www.timescolonist.com/local-news/d... #bcpoli #decrim #recrim

Human Rights Day #cjph_rcsp Homeless encampments: connecting public health and human rights (Olson & Pauly) link.springer.com/article/1... #PublicHealth Photo by Boris Busorgin on Unsplash.

“The youth were the experts, and we honoured that." Learn more about the Lower Risk Cannabis Use Guidelines for Youth, by Youth project. www.uvic.ca/research-inn...

Work from CISUR researchers is one of JSAD's top downloaded 2024 publications!

“The largest reductions we saw in drug-related offences in Victoria happened in 2020 and 2021, before decriminalization was being openly discussed by the provincial government as a policy,” said Alexander Kuzma-Hunt, the paper’s lead author. www.timescolonist.com/local-news/d...

This afternoon’s presentations at CCSA’s Issues of Substance will cover alcohol labels, substance use health in Northern communities, and enhancing care for youth. Here’s today’s schedule: https://ow.ly/Fzjs50XrYxB #CCSAConference

A higher proportion of Island Health residents use alcohol, tobacco and cannabis regularly than the B.C. average, according to a new report by the health authority.

CISUR Scientist Jaime Arredondo will be moderating this session on November 26.

Congrats to Andrea and all the other grads convocating today!

Thanks to everyone who was able to make it to @drscotthadland.bsky.social's talk on adolescent overdose in North America on November 4. For those who wouldn't make it, you can view a recording on our YouTube page: www.youtube.com/watch?v=eR_8...

📣 DULF found guilty for life-saving compassion club 📣 But WAIT! Not so fast… drugdatadecoded.ca/court-finds-...

Alcohol still leading cause of substance-related hospitalizations in Canada, with cannabis now a ‘concerning’ second Hospital data for substance use visits now counts CHS, a growing weed-related illness pressprogress.ca/alcohol-stil...

martlet.ca/potent-synth... "Government intervention in medical decision-making has limited access to pharmaceutical-grade opioid tablets, [so] 'It’s not surprising that people are going to seek those tablets elsewhere.'"

📢 Free Talk On Campus Today 📢 Dr. Hadland will review the landscape of substance use and overdose among adolescents and young adults, highlighting key epidemiologic trends and the unique risks youth face. Presented by @uviccisur.bsky.social

“Also, many young people don’t perceive themselves as ‘people who use opioids,’ so the usual risk messages don’t land." @drscotthadland.bsky.social talks youth overdose prevention in today's @timescolonist.bsky.social www.timescolonist.com/local-news/y... Catch his talk today (Nov 4), 1:30 at #UVic.

Today, the Supreme Court of Canada delivered a landmark ruling affirming that the Good Samaritan Drug Overdose Act must be interpreted to fulfill its life-saving purpose. Read the press release: drugpolicy.ca/supreme-cour... @aidq.bsky.social @hrna.bsky.social

Researchers at CISUR joined witnesses from @ccsacanada.bsky.social, WHO Europe, @alcoholireland.ie, @cancersociety.bsky.social and CAUDS to testify at the SOCI Senate Committee in support of Bill S-202, which calls for warning labels on alcoholic beverages. senparlvu.parl.gc.ca/harmony/en/p...

🎤Free talk🎤 Scott Hadland: Addressing North America’s Adolescent Overdose Crisis. 1:30PM PT Tues, Nov 4, Snequ House Conference Centre, #uvic Info and registration: events.uvic.ca/cisur/event/...

"Inside the alcohol industry’s global campaign to delay Ireland’s world-first health labels - New documents reveal an organised effort by alcohol giants to pressure the Irish government into delaying landmark cancer warnings." www.thejournal.ie/alcohol-lobb...

"The proposed bill also would require clear labels stating what constitutes a standard drink, the number of drinks per container, and the number of drinks that Health Canada considers a health risk." www.timescolonist.com/national-new...

Development of a high-resolution paper-spray mass spectrometry method using street drugs for the early detection of emerging drugs in the unregulated supply pubs.rsc.org/en/content/a... Open access from Dennis K. Hore, Chris Gill et al @uvic.ca @uviccisur.bsky.social @viuniversity.bsky.social

“The biggest worry is that they are quite potent molecules in comparison to fentanyl, which is a strong opioid as well...And detecting them can be challenging.” Substance's Derek Robinson talking about nitazenes in the @timescolonist.bsky.social this week. www.timescolonist.com/local-news/p...

📣 Reminder about this unique opportunity for @uvic.ca grad. students! Apply for STRIDE — our 10-month mentorship program to develop your research skills & become a leader in your field. 📅 Deadline: Wed. Oct 15, 4PM PT 👉 Apply here: tinyurl.com/bdhpakwe

"Liver harm caused by alcohol is a public health problem. Collectively, we need to take better care of our livers by taking steps to reduce alcohol consumption in the population." CISUR's Tim Naimi in @ca.theconversation.com #alcoholpolicy #alcoholresearch

Huge thanks to Emma Thompson for leading us on this paper with Jeff Collin in @jsadjournal.bsky.social on how the alcohol industry frames conflicts of interest and partnership in WHO consultations. Timely considering the #UNHLM #UNGA @uoe-sps.bsky.social @lhgp.bsky.social @acords.bsky.social

"When you have an illicit market that is highly criminalized, one sample might be totally fine, but then the next sample can be three times stronger.” -Substance Drug Checking's Katy Booth in @victorianews.bsky.social www.vicnews.com/news/the-his...

Doctors for Safer Drug Policy installed two overdose prevention sites near Royal Jubilee Hospital and Nanaimo Regional General Hospital over the weekend.

“We’ve seen this playbook before with the tobacco industry trying to discredit science around smoking’s harms." -CISUR's Tim Stockwell

"After the initial test is conducted, data is sent to Substance Drug Checking in Victoria, which will provide a detail breakdown of the sample’s contents, with percentages. This information is expected to be available within a week, and will be provided to clients, explained Rai."

New paper alert: Alcohol lobbying in Canada: a quantitative analysis of the federal registry of lobbyists academic.oup.com/heapro/artic... The paper, published in Health Promotion International, examined lobbyist registrations in the Canadian Federal Registry of Lobbyists from May 2022-May 2023.

"These findings highlight the need for strategies to mitigate potential harm in low SES groups and the widening of existing inequities."

Only one more week to apply for the new Samit & Resha Sharma Scholarship! If you're a #UVic Graduate Student doing research in substance use and/or mental health, apply here by September 15: www.uvic.ca/graduatestud...

“The key message is that drinking two drinks a day may be moderate from a social perspective, but when it comes to health, it’s a pretty risky amount." CISUR's Tim Naimi in @nytimes.com. www.nytimes.com/2025/09/05/h...

Alcohol's Collateral Damage: Harms From Others' Drinking Are Linked to Academic and Mental Health Challenges Among U.S. College Students (new #openaccess in @jsadjournal.bsky.social 86/5) @argdotorg.bsky.social @publichealthinst.bsky.social @publichealthumd.bsky.social www.jsad.com/doi/full/10....

"For this story, I spoke with three of the six authors of the study: Martinez, Keyes, and co-author Tim Naimi, an alcohol researcher affiliated with @uvic.ca and Boston University. They all emphasized that they had sought to conduct a study that would fairly represent America’s alcohol consumption."

NEW ISSUE @cjphrcsp.bsky.social Volume 116, Issue 3 Special Section on the Public Health Response to the Overdose Crisis in Canada link.springer.com/journal/4199...

“The Tyee is just learning about this now because it took 16 months for the Vancouver Police Department to release requested data about how many of its officers were trained on decriminalization.” thetyee.ca/News/2025/08...

“I do believe the change in public sentiment is a good reflection of the change in science — and that the risks of alcohol, in what some people might have previously considered low levels, are higher than previously appreciated." -CISUR Director Tim Naimi www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2025/...

ICYMI: Study from @uviccisur.bsky.social using data from over 147K Canadians from 2000-2017 shows alcohol has: ❌ No health benefits ⬆️ Dose-response relationship with all-cause & alcohol-related mortality Supports Canada's reduction in Low-Risk Alcohol Advice. onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....

This short video is a couple years old & worth a re-share, IMHO. A lot of misinformation is circulated about prescribed alternatives & this lays out some of the facts plainly. As we approach #IOAD25, it's worth taking the time to understand the many ways #HarmReductionWorks youtu.be/iRuXM8aS-4U

"Two public gatherings in Victoria this month will honour lives lost to toxic drug poisonings and call for stronger action to address the ongoing crisis." Aug 17: BC Legislature Aug 31: Broad View United Church (3703 St Aidans St.). More info: www.vicnews.com/local-news/g...

A record-low 54% of Americans say they consume alcohol.

Webinar series: Alcohol policy in Canadian municipalities...launching early September 2025! More info and registration: onlineacademiccommunity.uvic.ca/municipalalc...

"We need to shift the focus from individual behavioural factors to see how broader social and structural conditions affect people’s health, and design policies to address these."

Latest BC Coroners Service data: at least 145 and 147 illicit drug deaths in May and June, respectively (about 5 deaths/day). New data on occupation industry: