The question is not whether allowing access to regulated drugs is the right thing to do –– that is now confirmed. The question is whether enough collective will can be mustered to overcome the carceral bureaucracy keeping regulated drugs out of reach. DULF can do that –– with your help.| Drug Data Decoded
Alberta's Ministry of Mental Health and Addiction is quietly terminating its contract with a personal data-harvesting app and replacing it with a publicly-owned 'bed availability dashboard.' The move coincides with reported scrutiny of ministry spending by the Auditor General.| Drug Data Decoded
The Alberta government has issued a request for interested parties to participate in the procurement process for two forced abstinence detention facilities, to be located in northwest Calgary and northeast Edmonton – right beside existing carceral institutions.| Drug Data Decoded
Documents show that two years after being caught using Clearview AI facial recognition software, Calgary police signed contracts for AI software that scours photos and videos for individuals. Have police agencies across Canada taken a secret shortcut to facial recognition?| Drug Data Decoded
Red Deer city council has made history as the first in Canada voting to close an overdose prevention site. Ignoring decades of research, Mayor Ken Johnston asserted this will set the groundwork for the city to become "free from addiction." People across the country should pay attention.| Drug Data Decoded
Alberta Association of Chiefs of Police built a "Coalition of the Willing" to conduct a public advocacy campaign supporting United Conservative Party drug policy with an explicit timeframe "before the May election" in 2023.| Drug Data Decoded
As one recovery centre admits that recovery coaches supplied by Bowline Health are now mandatory to access its residential services, it is unclear if the Province will mandate its coaches across the recovery system. Meanwhile, the company's vertical integration expands to emergency rooms.| Drug Data Decoded
Calgary police oversight is in crisis. Police commission failed to investigate alleged deceit by the chief for a year before dropping the files upon his resignation, which media have seemingly given up trying to explain. Meanwhile, emails reveal bias of corporate media toward police narratives.| Drug Data Decoded
The BC NDP are dangerously misrepresenting our workplaces in healthcare settings as an electoral strategy.| Drug Data Decoded
Updated 09:00 MST, December 28, 2024. About Drug Data Decoded Drug Data Decoded delivers coverage of issues that concern people who use drugs and their communities. The publication blends investigative tools with opinion-based writing to arrive at conclusions concerning drug policy, policing and addiction treatment. Story authors are typically| Drug Data Decoded
In advance of Support. Don't Punish on June 26, the founders of RECLAIM Collective share their thoughts on how the forced abstinence legislation recently passed by the Alberta government will impact their community.| Drug Data Decoded
Demand continues to increase dramatically for clean drug inhalation supplies, but procurement data obtained by Drug Data Decoded show the supply is being throttled back. Is the shortfall helping to drive Alberta cities to new overdose heights?| Drug Data Decoded
Two long-form articles in national news outlets are promoting the BC government's "secure care" policy the same week that the government faces a pivotal legal challenge on its expansive interpretation of the Mental Health Act.| Drug Data Decoded
As Chief Mark Neufeld announces his resignation, a ten-month investigation by Drug Data Decoded reveals extensive social media monitoring by his media relations unit that could violate privacy regulations.| Drug Data Decoded
Three months ago we thought we were facing the federalization of the notorious Alberta Model. Instead, we get a rightward lurch from a rejuvenated Liberal party while provincial premiers race to find the bottom of Charter rights of people who use drugs.| Drug Data Decoded
The Alberta government is going full MAGA with its Compassionate Intervention Act, which will strip people who use drugs of due process and force them into months-long medical incarceration.| Drug Data Decoded
The privately owned, sole-sourced app that collects personal health information of people entering recovery programs was launched as ‘voluntary’ to comply with Alberta privacy laws. But eight months later, it isn’t voluntary anymore.| Drug Data Decoded
Edmonton EMS dispatches for opioid poisoning have hit their highest weekly count ever. While other provincial governments issue warnings, Alberta has been hiding a key mortality report that could have informed solutions on the ground.| Drug Data Decoded
In a rare instance, University of Calgary officials were caught destroying records that should have been made available through freedom of information. The destroyed records — obtained from Calgary Police — included apparent plans for dismantling the May 9 pro-Palestine encampment protest.| Drug Data Decoded
The Alberta government has yet to release its proposed Compassionate Intervention Act but indicated in 2023 that the Act would extend existing legislation for forced abstinence of children to adults. Documents show that survival and other data are not tracked after children exit the system.| Drug Data Decoded
Documents reveal new details about the recovery community grant competition hurried through the Ministry of Mental Health and Addiction in 2023. The Ministry continues to withhold details about the recipient previously hinted at by Drug Data Decoded.| Drug Data Decoded
Documents show the United Conservatives were working with city councillors intent on driving the closure of supervised consumption services in Red Deer as early as 2022.| Drug Data Decoded
Guest post: Police are invested in the sale, procurement & consumption of sex work & certain drugs. Their publicly funded communications reflect this – an opportunity for media.| Drug Data Decoded
Unannounced by the Alberta government, all signs point to the controversial UCP-aligned recovery organization bagging a lucrative contract for Calgary's new centre.| Drug Data Decoded
Calgary city council took a defiant stance against the Alberta government's attempt to have council do its dirty work. For once, the trash took itself out in Alberta.| Drug Data Decoded
Canadian Students for Sensible Drug Policy Vancouver, Migrant Students United UBC, Climate Justice UBC, UBC Social Justice Centre, CUPE 2278 Executive Committee and eight more student-led groups speak out.| Drug Data Decoded
The Premier's office was in contact with the University of Calgary President's office during the peaceful May 9 Palestine solidarity demonstration. But after months of work, the events surrounding the violent deployment of riot police remain shrouded in secrecy.| Drug Data Decoded
An app that privatizes health information of recovery patients is aimed at Alberta shelters, correctional facilities and supervised consumption sites. In one case, data from the app that showed a negative outcome was suppressed, but the government still publicly reported it.| Drug Data Decoded
My Recovery Plan was implemented to evaluate and manage substance use treatment waitlists across Alberta. Documents reveal how it denies patients informed consent and control of their personal health information.| Drug Data Decoded
Documents reveal Edmonton Oilers executives pressured the City and Police to clear unhoused people from near Oilers property, weaponizing decampments and water station relocation to address safety concerns.| Drug Data Decoded
Intervention and regulation of the drug supply is indeed the only way out of British Columbia’s forever toxic drug emergency. But last week, the BC NDP rejected another high-level recommendation to create frameworks for non-medicalized access to opioids and other drugs.| Drug Data Decoded
The BC Association of People on Opiate Maintenance, Surrey Union of Drug Users, Care Not Cops, Canadian Students for Sensible Drug Policy Vancouver Chapter & Crackdown respond to recent coverage on pharmacy kickbacks, and the repercussions for them and the people they work with.| Drug Data Decoded
The government gave sole source contracts to a private addiction recovery house in BC for an app that obscures patient outcome data from the public, the health system and the government.| Drug Data Decoded
Eleven staff in BC’s healthcare system outline the realities of frontline care work, the toxic drug crisis and their concerns.| Drug Data Decoded
A revealing LinkedIn announcement by the newly hired Manager of Compassionate Intervention Implementation confirms the government's intention to force people who use drugs into addiction treatment.| Drug Data Decoded
Over a year after inking the deal, Alberta's Ministry of Mental Health and Addiction has yet to reveal the recipient of its largest contract. This appears to be ROSC Solutions Group, whose top brass are connected to the Premier's chief of staff and were early drivers of Recovery Capital Conference.| Drug Data Decoded
The upcoming Recovery Capital Conference in Calgary serves three main functions: mobilizing Alberta government policy through credible actors, repaying these actors with public funding, and recruiting for the far-right. Part 1 examines the first of these, and what happens when credibility falls short. See also: Part 2 and Part 3.| Drug Data Decoded
With the anti-safe supply propaganda machine now firm-footed in the far-right, why is a small number of doctors feeding its printing press, National Post Opinion?| Drug Data Decoded
