Filter • 4th December 2025

BC Human Rights Commissioner Slams Overdose Inaction as "Violation"

Government inaction on the overdose crisis is a human rights violation, according to a recent position statement released by British Columbia’s Office of the Human Rights Commissioner. It makes clear that the ongoing inaction and misdirection of policies aimed at handling the crisis are largely rooted in stigma, politics and systemic oppression—and run contrary to scientific evidence. “

Filter Mag • 6th November 2025

Landmark Ruling Fortifies Canada’s “Good Samaritan” Overdose Law

The Supreme Court of Canada has delivered a landmark judgement that affirms the Good Samaritan Drug Overdose Act, clarifying that people who call 911 during an overdose will not face arrest for possession.

Healthy Debate • 29th October 2025

AI and the mental health crisis: Can chatbots fill the gap?

Canadians are increasingly turning to AI chatbots, like ChatGPT, for mental health support. But is this type of technology truly up to the task?

Healthy Debate • 23rd July 2025

‘Good hands for a woman’: Study exposes gender bias in surgery

Deeply ingrained gender biases within surgery are discouraging women from entering the field, according to findings in a new McGill University study.

Filter Mag • 28th May 2025

Safe Supply Mirrors Methadone Outcomes, With Better Retention

Safe supply improved most health outcomes for people who use opioids as effectively as methadone, found a new study out of Ontario, Canada—when recipients were more likely to stick with it.

Healthy Debate • 12th May 2025

Report reveals ‘alarming trend’ of private staffing agencies in Ontario hospitals

New report reveals growth in government funding on Ontario’s public hospital systems has been significantly outpaced by spending on private staffing agencies.

Healthy Debate • 30th April 2025

LifeLabs strike highlights risks of foreign ownership in Canadian health care

The months-long strike at British Columbia’s LifeLabs has raised questions about foreign ownership of medical services and Canadians’ health data.

Healthy Debate • 9th April 2025

How health care works in Canada: What to know ahead of the federal election

With voters heading to the polls on April 28, we figured it’s time for a refresher on how health policy is made and where the parties stand.

Healthy Debate • 26th February 2025

‘I wish he would have just hit me’: Bill criminalizing ‘insidious’ form of domestic abuse dies with prorogation

Coercive control, a form of intimate partner violence, was nearly criminalized in Canada before parliament was prorogued on Jan. 6. Will new Parliament revive it?

Healthy Debate • 12th February 2025

Charity fills the gap in pet fostering services for struggling community members in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside

For The Homies - Downtown Eastside Pet Support Society is a new grassroots organization offering much-needed pet fostering and other pet services for community members and their furry friends.

Healthy Debate • 30th January 2025

Dual HIV/syphilis rapid test aims to lessen stigma, reach underserved communities

As rates of syphilis and HIV continue to climb in Canada, a dual rapid test recently was approved by federal regulators, making it the second of its kind to become available in the country.

Healthy Debate • 20th November 2024

‘We have to be very cautious’: Experts speak out on dangers of avian flu outbreak

We asked a group of experts how concerned we need to be in light of the recent H5N1 infection in B.C., and what – if anything – we should do about it. We also need to be concerned about the fact that the U.S. has...

Healthy Debate • 23rd October 2024

Are Canada’s clinical trials in need of reform? Experts weigh in.

Private companies in Canada are recruiting thousands of often financially desperate test subjects each year to participate in clinical trials. If we want to ensure safer studies for participants and improve critical research, what is the best way forward?

Healthy Debate • 16th October 2024

‘I would still receive another rather than no vaccine at all’: Chronically ill people left with little choice

Canada will not be procuring the Novavax vaccine for the 2024/25 season, leaving those who would have preferred an alternative to the mRNA vaccine without another option.

Healthy Debate • 2nd October 2024

‘A plan to make a plan’: Experts speak out on B.C.’s involuntary care proposal

As B.C.'s provincial election looms near, Premier David Eby floats plans to expand involuntary care. Experts weigh in on the announcement.

Filter Mag • 17th September 2024

Oregon Drug Decrim Did Not Increase Overdose Deaths, Analysis Shows

A new study found that drug decriminalization in Oregon did not cause an increase in overdose mortality in the state—refuting a narrative often pushed by opponents of decriminalization. By tracking the influx of fentanyl into Oregon’s unregulated drug market, the authors of the study—which was published September 5 in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA)—were able to account for the increase in overdose deaths that coincided with the adoption of Measure 110. “I think this study...

Healthy Debate • 11th September 2024

Out of sight, out of mind? What the experts say we need to know about COVID-19 as we head indoors

Though we are not “post-COVID,” some say we are “post-crisis.” But the question remains: “What should we be doing about COVID now?”

Filter • 19th August 2024

Harm Reduction Community’s Diverse Efforts to Raise DULF Defense Funds

Since Drug User Liberation Front (DULF) cofounders Eris Nyx and Jeremy Kalicum were charged with criminal possession in May—having created a Vancouver compassion club to save lives—many people in the North American harm reduction community and beyond have felt inspired to help. They’ve found an eclectic variety of ways, from barbecues to BDSM, to show solidarity and raise substantial funds for the legal defense.

Healthy Debate • 17th July 2024

Telegraph hit job a prime example of how not to report on drug policy

The Telegraph story depicts Vancouver's Downtown Eastside in a way that maximizes the harm done to their most vulnerable sources. But as journalists, we don't need to punch down to do our jobs.

Healthy Debate • 19th June 2024

Involuntary drug treatment: ‘Compassionate intervention’ or policy dead end?

Involuntary treatment for substance use is being proposed as a solution to the toxic drug supply crisis in provinces across the country. But do programs like this work?