Research shows a rise in emergency department visits linked to Cannabis Hyperemesis Syndrome. Nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain are key warning signs and linked to frequent cannabis use. Our latest brief examines the data and outlines the implications for public health. 🔗https://bit.ly/3LZCRyJ

"Lifelong patterns of alcohol use can begin in college, and findings indicate that state alcohol policies are a foundation on which community- and campus-level preventive efforts can build."

Inside B.C.’s decriminalization pilot as experienced by people who use drugs, by Matthew Bonn blog.catie.ca/2026/01/26/i... via CATIE

"The #BC Centre for Disease Control has issued a warning about the increase in drug poisonings seen throughout the province of #BritishColumbia. The warning was issued January 26 to people that use illicit substances" #medetomidine #fentanyl #Canada www.hashilthsa.com/news/2026-01...

"Dr. Tim Naimi, a physician, alcohol epidemiologist and director of @uviccisur.bsky.social, said when you subtract tax revenue from the cost of each standard drink sold in Ontario, it costs taxpayers about 30 cents more than what is earned by the government."

"'Men drink more, binge-drink more and generally do dumber things when impaired,' said Tim Naimi, director of the Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research and another author of the alcohol report." via @nytimes.com www.nytimes.com/2026/01/16/h...

"Despite the hard work and good intentions behind the pilot, it has not delivered the results we hoped for. For that reason, we will not be asking the federal government to renew the exemption." -BC Minister of Health Josie Osborne on #decrim. news.gov.bc.ca/releases/202...

Canada changed their alcohol consumption guidelines in 2023, making global headlines for a steep drop in “low risk” drinking. Tim Stockwell explains how these recommendations were developed and what to make of the U.S.’s new guidelines. 🎧 podcast.publichealth.jhu.edu/996-canadas-...

Join us for our next webinar series! 🖥️ Our first session is Jan. 27, about how the National Wastewater Drug Surveillance initiative can help with the drug crisis 🔗Register now! https://ow.ly/xzjl50XWpEp #webinars #SubstanceUseHealth #SmallCitiesInitiative

Welcome, Matthew!

Public Health 2026: Registration is OPEN. Start with the introductory program—your first look at priority topics, ideas, and evidence shaping public health in Canada. Early bird registration ends Feb 13. Register now: www.cpha.ca/publichealth... #ph26sp

"[CISUR Director Tim] Naimi said he had hoped that guidelines would be tighter, calling for no more than a few drinks per week, or no more than one per day for men and women."

B.C.'s drug decriminalization pilot is up for renewal Jan 31. Premier David Eby says decriminalized public drug use will not return, but it remains to be seen if the trial will continue in any iteration. Currently limited largely to private residences. www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/briti...

"For the first time, recommendations for drinking were handled in a separate process from the rest of the nutritional advice, with two separate studies commissioned to inform the alcohol guidelines." www.reuters.com/business/hea...

"There's new science. There's new data." CISUR scientist Tim Stockwell is one of several alcohol researchers interviewed as part of CBC's the Nature of Things piece, The New Science of Alcohol. You can view it on CBC Gem, or via YouTube. www.youtube.com/watch?v=RXTE...

This year saw the launch of knowalcohol.ca, a website enabling users to better understand Canada's guidance on alcohol and health. Full AR2025 presentation alcohol-review.com/alcohol-revi... Participate next year alcohol-review.com/ar2026 @uviccisur.bsky.social

"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."