For several years now, January has been earmarked as a time to forego alcohol and counter the excesses of the holiday season. The idea of an alcohol-free month, known as Dry January, originated in the United Kingdom and has become increasingly popular, garnering millions of followers largely thanks to social media. The whys and wherefores… Read more »
My journey began 34 years ago when I joined the Portage team to become a drug addiction counsellor. Today, I am the director of one of Portage’s innovative programs, the Mentally Ill Chemical Abusers (MICA) program. In 1984, Portage had already been in existence for more than a decade, but did not yet have the… Read more »
After more than a month following the legalization of cannabis in Canada, many observations can be made. The cannabis shortage affecting many of the SQDC branches have forced the government to reduce store hours. The bold intentions of reducing the reach of the black market and increasing the quality of the distributed substances have been… Read more »
Governments and organizations are being pressured to find effective means of dealing with substance abuse problems and prevention is seen as a key factor in achieving that goal. The Importance of Alcohol and Drug Use Prevention Among Youth Alcohol and drug use at a young age often herald addiction problems later on. A major study conducted… Read more »
The Terry Fox Run celebrates the trans-Canadian run by Terrence Stanley Fox in 1980. This event, known as the Marathon of Hope, takes place every year on an international scale with the objective of raising funds for cancer research. The History of a Man Terry Fox was born in Winnipeg, Canada in 1958. During his… Read more »
September 10, 2018 is the 10th edition of World Suicide Prevention Day. The event seeks to promote awareness about suicide and how to prevent it. Suicide: A Social Issue According to statistics, one person attempts suicide every three seconds. One person dies by suicide every 40 seconds.[1] There are more than one million suicide… Read more »
Drug use has undergone many changes over the last few years. A growing drug supply, younger drug users and highly concentrated active principles are some of the factors that need to be brought to the forefront. With the upcoming legalization of cannabis in Canada on October 17, 2018, one question has been raised repeatedly… Read more »
International Overdose Awareness Day was established in 2001 and takes place every year on August 31st. The event aims to raise public awareness of overdose and help people recognize its signs and respond effectively (read: How to Recognize and React to an Overdose). The History Behind the Day It all started with a discussion… Read more »
Common to Anglo-Saxon countries, binge drinking is the excessive or occasional consumption of alcohol. The only objective is to get “drunk” in record time. This is very popular with youths, which leads to serious problems such as ethylic comas and all other alcohol-related issues. Binge drinking is an addiction Even though in most western… Read more »
