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London Drugs at Woodward’s. (Kenneth Chan)   Kenneth Chan at the DailyHive.com on January 30 2026, 9:53 am Read All 32 Comments Vancouver Police Department (VPD) is expanding its operational presence in Gastown, the Downtown Eastside, and Chinatown by establishing a new operational hub at the Woodward’s complex. This should not be confused with the recently opened Gastown-Hastings Crossing Community Policing Centre located at street level within the same complex. Currently

British Columbia (BC) has decided to not extend its 3-year drug decriminalization project, which will expire at the end of January 2026.

British Columbia’s prescribed safer supply program — aimed at providing people at high risk of overdose with regulated alternatives to toxic street drugs — is undergoing a major shift, drawing sharp criticism from the Opposition.

The Opioid Treatment Access Line is staffed by experienced professionals who provide guidance, referrals, and support to individuals navigating opioid use treatment options. Whether you are looking for help for yourself, a loved one, or a client, this service ensures rapid access to the care and treatment needed.

Community Christmas Dinners within 100 km of Vancouver No-cost, no-ID, but expect lineups. Require reservations and publish final menus in early December.

Vancouver is installing hundreds of new, temporary surveillance cameras ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, a move city officials say is about public safety, but privacy experts say deserves closer scrutiny.

In the mid-1990s, a perfect storm began brewing in the United States. A storm that, over the following decades, would spiral into the worst drug overdose epidemic in the country’s history.  The broad outline of this crisis is well-known: A dramatic rise in prescription opioids, followed by expanded heroin use and, more recently, synthetic opioids like fentanyl. But beneath those waves lie structural, controlling, social and commercial currents that set the stage.

The same day the coroner confirmed 150 people died from toxic drug overdoses in BC in October, the province flushed out details of its next step in battling the crisis. Josie Osborne, BC Health Minister: "Helping to separate people from the illicit drug supply."

"This is really egregious political interference in medical decision-making. It doesn't really support recovery. It doesn't really support people getting on with their lives you know being basically chained to a pharmacy all day long."

Nitazenes, also known as benzimidazole-opioids, are a group of synthetic opioids that have become increasingly relevant in recent years. First synthesized in the late 1950s by the Swiss chemical company CIBA Aktiengesellschaft, these novel non-fentanyl synthetic opioids were originally developed as potential pain medications but never approved for clinical use [1]. Today, nitazenes are being detected in the unregulated global drug supply, including Canada.

The City of Nanaimo has received a grant from the federal government to strengthen its overdose response capabilities by purchasing equipment and new trucks for its community safety officers, but not everyone in Nanaimo agrees that the trucks are the way to address the ongoing opioid crisis.

Earlier this week, the B.C. government announced that all patients receiving a safer supply of drugs will be required to have a medical professional present when using drugs in a bid to stop drugs from being diverted to the street. I think that'll be even more challenging. So, I think it's going to reduce the number of people in this program significantly. I'm not sure it'll have much impact on the on on diverted Dilaudid.