Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research (CISUR)
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The Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research (CISUR), formerly CARBC, is a network of individuals and groups dedicated to the study of substance use and addiction in support of community-wide efforts to promote health and reduce harm. Our research is used to inform a broad range of projects, reports, publications and initiatives aimed at providing all people in Canada and beyond with access to happier, healthier lives, whether using substances or not. Read more about CISUR.
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Item A distributed model to expand the reach of drug checking(Drugs Habits and Social Policy, 2022) Wallace, Bruce; Gozdzialski, Lea; Qbaich, Abdelhakim; Azam, Md. Shafiul; Burek, Piotr; Hutchison, Abby; Teal, Taylor; Louw, Rebecca; Kielty, Collin; Robinson, Derek; Moa, Belaid; Storey, Margaret-Anne; Gill, Chris; Hore, Dennis K.Purpose – While there is increasing interest in implementing drug checking within overdose prevention, we must also consider how to scale-up these responses so that they have significant reach and impact for people navigating the unpredictable and increasingly complex drug supplies linked to overdose. The purpose of this paper is to present a distributed model of community drug checking that addresses multiple barriers to increasing the reach of drug checking as a response to the illicit drug overdose crisis. Design/methodology/approach – A detailed description of the key components of a distributed model of community drug checking is provided. This includes an integrated software platform that links a multi-instrument, multi-site service design with online service options, a foundational database that provides storage and reporting functions and a community of practice to facilitate engagement and capacity building. Findings – The distributed model diminishes the need for technicians at multiple sites while still providing point-of-care results with local harm reduction engagement and access to confirmatory testing online and in localized reporting. It also reduces the need for training in the technical components of drug checking (e.g. interpreting spectra) for harm reduction workers. Moreover, its real-time reporting capability keeps communities informed about the crisis. Sites are additionally supported by a community of practice. Originality/value – This paper presents innovations in drug checking technologies and service design that attempt to overcome current financial and technical barriers towards scaling-up services to a more equitable and impactful level and effectively linking multiple urban and rural communities to report concentration levels for substances most linked to overdose.Item Adolescent Substance Use and Related Harms in British Columbia(Centre for Addictions Research of BC, 2009-10) Stewart, Duncan; Vallance, Kate; Stockwell, Tim; Reimer, Bette; Smith, Annie; Reist, Dan; Saewyc, ElizabethThe 2008 BC Adolescent Health Survey IV (N=29,440) included 50 of BC’s 59 school districts and 92% of public school students (grades 7 to 12). There have been encouraging downward trends in usage rates for alcohol, tobacco and marijuana over the past 10 years in BC. However, rates of risky use and related harms remain a significant concern, particularly among older students.Item Alcohol Consumption in British Columbia and Canada: A Case for Liquor Taxes that Reduce Harm(Centre for Addictions Research of BC, 2007-12) Stockwell, Tim; Pakula, Basia; Macdonald, Scott; Zhao, Jinhui; Reist, Dan; Thomas, Gerald; Puri, Ajay; Buxton, Jane; Tu, Andrew; Duff, CameronOverview: • Alcohol consumption in Canada has increased by over 11% in the past decade. • Per adult absolute alcohol consumption in British Columbia has increased from 8.18 litres in 2002 to 8.53 litres in 2005. • Since 2002 the numbers of hospitalizations and neuro-psychiatric deaths attributable to alcohol in BC have increased by 11.7% and 18%, respectively. • In 2005 there were an estimated 25,194 alcohol-related injuries and illnesses in BC requiring hospitalization compared with 4,817 related to illicit drug use. • There is extensive scientific evidence to support the use of pricing and taxation strategies as effective means of reducing alcohol consumption and related harms. • In British Columbia such strategies are readily achievable because the government alcohol monopoly directly controls liquor prices. • 65% of the coolers now sold in BC contain 7% alcohol content and have an average price of $5.41 per litre, compared with $8.07 for coolers with a 5-5.9% alcohol content. • We recommend that liquor prices more closely reflect alcohol content and that these are regularly updated with the cost of living. • Beers and coolers with low alcohol content should have significantly lower price ‘mark-ups’ applied to give manufacturers, retailers and consumers incentives to produce, market and consume these products. • Minimum prices also need to be set and updated regularly to ensure there are no cheap high strength products available. • We also recommend that a “nickel a drink” tax be introduced to generate $95.7 million per annum for treatment and prevention programs. • Detailed results are available at the BC Alcohol and Other Drug Monitoring website (www.AODmonitoring.ca) Revised January 29, 2008.Item Alcohol on Campus: Programs and Policies(Centre for Addictions Research of BC, 2008-07)Item Alcohol Pricing and Public Health in Canada: Issues and Opportunities(Centre for Addictions Research of BC, 2006-02) Stockwell, Tim; Leng, Jiali; Sturge, JodiItem Alcohol Pricing, Public Health and the HST: Proposed Incentives for BC Drinkers to Make Healthy Choices(Centre for Addictions Research of BC, 2009) Thomas, Gerald; Stockwell, Tim; Reist, DanItem Beyond 2008: An International NGO Forum(Centre for Addictions Research of BC, 2008) Perron, Michel; Reist, Dan; Maxwell, Gillian; Macpherson, DonaldItem Caffeinated Alcoholic Beverages in Canada: Prevalence of Use, Risks and Recommended Policy Responses(Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse, 2012) Brache, Kristina; Thomas, Gerald; Stockwell, TimItem Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research Annual Report 2017-2018(Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research (CISUR), 2018) Canadian Institute for Substance Abuse Research (CISUR)Item Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research Annual Report 2018-2019(Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research (CISUR), 2019) Canadian Institute for Substance User Research (CISUR)Item Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research Annual Report 2019-2020(Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research (CISUR), 2020) Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research (CISUR)Item Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research Annual Report 2021-2022(Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research (CISUR), 2022) Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research (CISUR)Item Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research Annual Report 2022-2023(Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research (CISUR), 2023) Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research (CISUR)Item Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research Annual Report 2023-2024(Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research (CISUR), 2024) Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research (CISUR)Item Cannabis Use in British Columbia: patterns of use, perceptions, and public opinion as assessed in the 2004 Canadian Addiction Survey(Centre for Addictions Research of BC, 2006-09) Stockwell, Tim; Sturge, Jodi; Jones, Wayne; Fischer, Benedikt; Carter, ConnieOverview: This bulletin examines aspects of cannabis use in BC compared with the rest of Canada, with special attention paid to potentially risky patterns of use1. Cannabis use is more widespread in BC than in the rest of Canada, and its illegal production contributes significantly to the local economy. Analysis of the 2004 Canadian Addiction Survey (CAS) suggests that 1.84 million persons in BC have tried cannabis at least once. Compared with other Canadians, significantly fewer BC respondents said they believed cannabis use should be illegal (42% versus 49%), while significantly more stated they: • had ever used cannabis in the past—53% in BC versus 44% elsewhere • experienced access to be ‘very easy’—65% in BC versus 44% elsewhere • believed both occasional and regular cannabis use to be harm–free. There was mixed evidence suggesting that this situation has led to increased levels of risky use and harm. Age of first use (18.6 years versus 18.9 years elsewhere) and rates of daily use (3% in BC and elsewhere), dependence, and of driving under the influence of cannabis were not significantly different. However, significantly more BC users reported trying to control their use, having friends express concern about their use, having combined their cannabis with alcohol, and were classified as “moderate risk users” on the WHO ASSIST scale. There was also less concern about alcohol in BC than in the rest of Canada, but more concern about heroin and methamphetamine. In general, cannabis users were more likely to be young, male, and have higher education than non-users. Overall, these results suggest that greater availability, prevalence, and acceptability of cannabis in BC than in the rest of Canada has resulted in modest increases in potentially hazardous use. It would appear cannabis is regarded in BC in a similar way to alcohol, with many using it in a relatively low-risk manner and many still underestimating its risks.Item Centre for Addictions Research of BC Annual Report 2003 - 2004(Centre for Addictions Research of BC, 2004-09)Item Centre for Addictions Research of BC Annual Report 2005 2006(Centre for Addictions Research of BC, 2006-09)Item Centre for Addictions Research of BC Annual Report 2006 - 2007(Centre for Addictions Research of BC, 2007-09)Item Centre for Addictions Research of BC Annual Report 2007 - 2008(Centre for Addictions Research of BC, 2008-09)Item Centre for Addictions Research of BC Annual Report 2008 - 2009(Centre for Addictions Research of BC, 2009-10)