June overdose death numbers show increase
Updated statistics from the BC Coroners Service show the number of illicit drug overdose deaths among B.C. residents has increased. The total number of overdose deaths for June 2016 was 56, an increase from 43 in May 2016. A total of 371 overdose deaths have been reported from January to June 2016. The most recent fentanyl-related...
Kootenay and Boundary Food Producers Co-op Launch First Full Year
The Kootenay & Boundary Food Producers Co-op (KBFPC) is steadily working towards its goal of creating a sustainable local food economy where local food is always available in the grocery store where you shop and the restaurants where you eat, all while the farmers and businesses who produce it are making a living wage. Nicholas […]
Overdose response measures roll out in emergency departments
Interior Health has begun implementing measures in emergency departments to improve overdose surveillance and arm those at risk with naloxone, a life-saving drug that can reduce the risk of brain damage or death, from future opioid overdoses. Emergency departments in Castlegar, Kamloops, Kaslo, Kelowna, Nakusp, New Denver...
Coroner reports significant increase of fentanyl-detected overdose deaths in Castlegar, Nelson, Trail
Of the 55 fentanyl-detected overdose deaths recorded in the past two-and-a-quarter years in the Interior Region, two have been in Castlegar, one in Nelson, and one in Trail, according to a report released today by the BC Coroner Service (the data is from Jan.1, 2014 to April 30, 2016). In the two years prior, 2012 […]
Ministerial statement on medical assistance in dying
Health Minister Terry Lake and Attorney General Suzanne Anton released the following statement yesterday on medical assistance in dying: "As of June 6, 2016, assisted dying is no longer illegal in Canada and the requirement for court approval has been removed. As laid out in the Supreme Court of Canada's February 2015 ruling,...
TIME CHANGE NEGOTIATIONS BEGINNING
Tired of afternoons as dark as night in the fall, after the onset of Standard Time? Weary of having to force your body to adjust to a new time regime twice a year? There's hope on the horizon: the BC Chamber of Commerce passed a resolution at its AGM on May 31 to ask the BC government to work with other provincial and state...
High School Students Can Win Cash to Attend Selkirk College in Exam Competition
Exam Competition Could Mean Cash Toward Selkirk College Education It’s not every day that a student can make money taking a test. But later this month, high school students from around the region have a chance to earn funds to help them attend Selkirk College, in an annual competition. The Selkirk College Scholarship High ...
Patient voice at heart of website changes
Interior Health is looking for ways to make the final days in people's lives as calm as can be possible. During Tuesday Interior Health Board meeting in Kelowna, a presenation highlighted improvements to help people find resources when they need them most. The changes include revamped web pages and a new resource guide for ...
Column: From the Hill -- Bill C-14 and Access to Medically Assisted Dying
By Member Of Pariliament for South Okanagan- West Kootenay, Richard Cannings: Bill C-14, An Act to amend the Criminal Code and to make related amendments to other Acts (medical assistance in dying) In March I wrote in this column about the ongoing debates in Parliament around medical aid in dying, brought on by the Supreme...
Mental health system could do more to ensure people can access specialized services
Auditor General of British Columbia Carol Bellringer issued her latest audit May 17: Access to Adult Tertiary Mental Health and Substance Use Services. Bellringer's team looked at how B.C.'s health system manages access to the highest level of mental health and substance use services. They found pockets of good practice, but...
