With the holiday season here, many of us will be gathering to celebrate with family and friends. Celebrations often include food and sometimes…
The festive season is kicking into high gear. You may already be pulling out the ugly Christmas sweaters and are preparing for holiday parties, or…
Talking about suicide – starting the conversation, listening, providing support, and connecting people with help – can be difficult and even scary…
In 2021, 263 paper medical charts were shipped to East Kootenay Regional Hospital where they were placed in the basement. The charts belonged to…
If there’s one lesson to take away from the toxic drug crisis – now sometimes referred to as the unregulated drug poisoning emergency – it’s that…
Gord Portman walks down the gravel path in Penticton’s Marina Way Beach Park towards the waterfront. It’s a hot, muggy day, and people dot the…
When you hear the word ‘psychosis,’ what words and images come to mind? Have you ever heard someone call something or someone else ‘psychotic?’…
Four teens have won Interior Health’s Take a Breath: Teen Voices on Tobacco and Vaping poster contest. Each winner will receive a $150 gift card…
Naloxone is a widely available medication that can reverse an opioid overdose temporarily. It has been a vital tool in combatting the toxic drug…
The holiday season includes many cherished moments like festive light displays, classic carols on the radio, and visits with friends and family.…
Interior Health has been running a program that gives people who have lived with or have living experience with substance use the opportunity to…
Excerpts reprinted with permission from Here to Help. Read the full article. In 1885, Wilhelm Röntgen discovered X-rays - and saw his skeleton.…
I was born and raised in Kelowna, the heart of B.C.’s Okanagan valley, which is well known for beautiful vistas and its wine industry. People…
Jodi Cunningham, pharmacist and owner of Medicine Shoppe Vernon It takes a team to combat one public health emergency – let alone two.…
More than 9,000 British Columbians have died due to the toxic drug poisoning since 2016 – with 2021 being the worst year on record at 2,224 deaths…
Kootenay Boundary Regional Hospital emergency department nurses: Jane Carlton, Tamara Roscoe, Teresa Myers, and Emily Larochelle Opioid use…
On April 14, 2016, the increasing number of opioid overdoses prompted the Province to declare a public health emergency. Six years later, close to…
Like many people who use drugs, Faith turned to illicit opioids to take away pain and hurt. When she realized she wanted to stop using, Opioid…
Housing is both a basic need and a human right. And yet, many people in the Interior Health region are without homes. The reasons behind why…
Members of the Kamloops Integrated Treatment Team are providing a new model of flexible, discreet and person-centred substance use treatment. Left…
Integrated Treatment Teams offer non-judgmental, discreet and flexible substance use treatment and support in your community. Treatment can…
Ellen had never really spoken with anyone about her alcohol use. She credits the day treatment program for providing the safe place she needed to…
The language we use to talk about people with substance use disorders can bring out many negative stereotypes. Substance use disorders are more…
Matthew first realized he needed help with his alcohol use during his late 20s. He was drinking daily, he says, and recognized that he was using…
Charlotte is proud of her mixed heritage – her ancestors are Cree and Shuswap, as well as Japanese and Irish. As someone who is homeless herself,…
Devon is a peer worker who provides overdose prevention and harm reduction supports to those living in shelters and supportive housing. As someone…
Cheyenne Fath is a youth and peer outreach worker and lived experience educator in Penticton. Through her experiences, she knows first hand how…
Community members who use drugs continue to die from an increasingly toxic and unregulated drug supply. Even occasional users can – and do –…
Please see the attached document to learn more about the look, contamination, and risk associated with the current drug alert. View more Toxic…
Addictions medicine lead Dr. Leslie Lappalainen, one of a group of health professionals that have put together the prescribing service. It’s…
