Drug & Alcohol Testing Industry News
Study: Driving and cannabis
THC is now being detected in twice as many injured drivers since the legalization of cannabis in 2018, according to the results of a UBC research published in January in the New England Journal of Medicine. These findings may indicate that increasing numbers of...
Benzodiazepines are now ‘a major problem’ in illicit drug supply
Across Canada, provincial health experts and authorities have expressed concerns due to the growing incidence of detection of benzodiazepines in the illicit drug supply. According to the findings of a report released by the BC Coroners Service, the detection of...
Yukon to declare substance use emergency
According to Yukon’s Health Minister, the Hon. Tracy-Anne McPhee, the Yukon government plans to declare a substance use emergency. CBC interviewed McPhee in January and reported that McPhee made the recommendation during a meeting held with leaders earlier in the...
Regina finds alcohol, fentanyl and methamphetamine on the roads
Despite the legalization of cannabis, the leading causes of impaired driving in Regina are currently alcohol, fentanyl, and methamphetamine, said Const. Jon Turner a drug recognition expert instructor and a standard field sobriety instructor with the Regina Police...
Quebec harm reduction programs await promised funding
Quebec organizations working to reduce drug-related harms are still awaiting funding promised by the province as they are struggling to maintain services. Specifically, the Groupe de recherche et d'intervention psychosociale (GRIP) in Montreal has been waiting on...
New “smart” coasters can detect date-rape drugs in drinks
New coasters produced by Laval-based Alco Prevention Canada, a business that specializes in drug testing products, which had partnered with a Florida-based company, can detect the presence of date-rape drugs in drinks. These coasters were designed to test for traces...
First Nations leaders in Saskatchewan struggling to manage the opioid crisis
In recent months, a group of First Nations mental health and addiction treatment advocates from across Saskatchewan have urged the province to take more measures to manage the ongoing opioid crisis in the province. “We are losing them fast and we are quite concerned,”...
Opinion: Why Canada needs a federal alcohol act
In a recent article published in Policy Options – Institute for Research on Public Policy, the authors Laura Kennedy and Noel Guscott discussed the need for Canada to establish a federal alcohol act. The authors of the article propose that since alcohol misuse...
Take-home drug checking strips now available in Saskatchewan
In December of 2021, fentanyl testing strips that had previously only been obtainable in Regina and Saskatoon have become widely available throughout Saskatchewan. According to Jason Mercredi, the executive director of Prairie Harm Reduction in Saskatoon, the...