Alcohol is the most popular drug in Canada by a significant margin. According to data from the 2015 Canadian Tobacco, Alcohol, and Drugs Survey, 76.9% of Canadians aged 15 and over reported drinking alcohol at least once in the past year. Despite its broad social acceptance, however, alcohol is the...
Research has suggested that members of the public hold significantly more negative views towards those dealing with addiction issues compared to other forms of mental illness (Barry, McGinty, Pescosolido, & Goldman, 2014). People are less willing to have a person with a substance use disorder...
The tactics imposed during the global ‘war on drugs’ divides public opinion. Many people believe that addiction and the factors that contribute to it are not well understood. Drug and alcohol misuse are often the result of loneliness or depression and those who have an addiction turn to...
Eleven years ago, Nigel Vincent joined Luke 15 House. He did so with the desire to help the struggling organization thrive. A recent business school graduate, Nigel recognized the importance of addictions recovery programs. It was a realization that led him to volunteer at Luke 15 House before...
Earlier this month, Health Canada implemented a new policy requiring a warning label on all opioid prescriptions (CBC News, 2018). The labels, which alert those taking a prescription drug to the dangers of opioid addiction, are intended to mitigate the Canadian opioid crisis, which has claimed over...
For individuals living with or recovering from addiction, practicing gratitude may be highly effective. One study found that individuals who completed a daily exercise of writing down three things they were grateful for “experienced lower levels of negative mood and greater levels of feeling...
Across the country, over 6 million Canadians suffer from substance abuse (Statistics Canada, 2015). In addition to drug and alcohol dependency, many more Canadians struggle with other types of addictions including gambling, sex, and internet addiction. Until the 1990s, little was known about the...
If you’re motivated to help those in your community affected by addiction, your motivation, an enduring, supportive nature, as well as the right training can help make recovery possible. You can devote your career to encouraging individuals to overcome addiction and achieve lasting physical,...
“When I was six years old I was snatched from my home and sent to Residential School in Marieval, Saskatchewan,” recalls Robert Kakakaway. “I went from a warm and loving environment to a lonely cold world where I was called a Pagan and a Heathen. The nuns slapped us and pulled our...
According to the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse (CCSA), harm associated with prescription drugs has emerged as a leading public health and safety concern across North America. Here in Canada, some First Nations organizations have even declared states of crisis owing to the prevalence of...