As drug overdose deaths continue to climb in British Columbia, new figures on the use of naloxone, which can reverse the effects of an opioid overdose within minutes, show there has also been a significant increase in drug users being pulled back from the brink.  Read the rest of this article at The Globe and Mail…

The Canadian Mental Health Association is asking Canadians to ‘get loud’ and encouraging them to talk more openly and honestly about mental health. Mental Health Week is May 2-6. Events celebrating mental health are using the social media hashtag ‘Get Loud.’  Read the rest of this article at Nanaimo News Bulletin…

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Treating addicts as if they are criminals doesn’t help them, nor does it stem public appetite for illicit substances, health experts say

Top health officials in British Columbia are calling for a significant change in drug policy that would ensure people who use illicit drugs do not face criminal charges for it. Dr. Perry Kendall, B.C.’s provincial health officer, said he supports decriminalization because treating users as criminals has been costly and ineffective.  Read the rest of this article at The Globe and Mail…

In the wake of Attawapiskat’s youth suicide crisis, prime minister said his government would work with the provinces and territories to build the ranks of counsellors, psychiatrists and psychologists

OTTAWA—Canada has yet to feel the full effects of mental-health issues gripping people across the country, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Tuesday as he pledged support to lower levels of government in combating the problem.  Read the rest of this article at The Toronto Star…
Image: Indigenous Affairs Minister Carolyn Bennett is greeted at the Attawapiskat airport by Chief Bruce Shisheesh as NDP MP Charlie Angus, right, looks on.