Ginetta Salvalaggio

Structural Drivers of the Drop in Opioid Overdose Deaths in the US This decision analytical model uses the SOURCE model to elucidate factors underlying the recent decline in US overdose deaths.

Overdose deaths in the US are down 41% from epidemic peak in 2023. Modelling suggests declines in death are due to 1) decreasing size of the susceptible population; 2) stabilization of the mortality rate.

jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...

Thomas King: As we learn another ‘hero’ is non-Indigenous, let’s not ignore a broader cultural problem Indigenous people are more than stories. We deserve a future where our identities are not commodities, and accountability is measured by actions that build trust and repair harm.

"Liberation doesn’t hinge on extraordinary individuals; it requires structural transformation. When we elevate “heroes,” we risk distorting accountability and reinforcing inequity." (Celeste Pedri-Spade, para 12)

theconversation.com/thomas-king-...

This whole Alberta pipeline discussion is the opposite of nation building.

I feel that our nation building projects should be more along the lines of a national integrated carbon neutral electricity grid. A national high-speed rail system. Discussion of crownlands being returned to First Nations.

From doing science to saving science Science and scientists are under assault. From denial of vaccines to climate change, political leaders are increasingly sacrificing democracy as well as science on the altar of populism and authoritar...

Authoritarians typically neither like science nor scientists

We are seeing this everywhere

So, fighting for science is also fighting for democracy

www.thelancet.com/journals/lan...

Keith Gerein: UCP ideological myopia costs Edmonton another safe consumption site, at the worst possible time Alberta's UCP government has an ongoing campaign against supervised drug consumption sites and the latest victim is at Edmonton's Royal Alex.

"When a hospital staffer comes across someone about to use, they now face a difficult choice of turning a blind eye, having the person kicked off hospital grounds or directing them to a clinic they may not want to visit." #ableg
edmontonjournal.com/opinion/colu...

Alt text: light brown background shapes of trees in white on the right and green on the left side. Small earth with trees in drawn shapes sticking out from the bottom right corner. White texts

Alt text: light brown background shapes of trees in white on the right and green on the left side. Small earth with trees in drawn shapes sticking out from the bottom right corner. White texts

Alt text: light brown background shapes of trees in white on the right and green on the left side. Small earth with trees in drawn shapes sticking out from the bottom right corner. White texts

Many large projects are being discussed by Canada and its provinces without the most important conversations taking place first.

All land Canada plans projects on is Indigenous Land, Free, Prior and Informed Consent is not optional.

"They have to kill us because they can't break our spirit."- John TrudellFree download: https://bit.ly/2Tn6dpHNeon Nativez:- Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.c... The Halluci Nation - Burn Your Village To The Ground (Neon Nativez Remix)

It's that time again.

The Halluci Nation, "Burn Your Village to the Ground (Neon Nativez Remix)"
www.youtube.com/watch?v=GNi_...

B.C. man who bought drugs for compassion club surprised by Health Canada's lack of 'urgency' on crisis | CBC News A co-founder of Vancouver's Drug User Liberation Front said he was surprised by Health Canada's lack of "urgency" about the deadly toxic drug crisis, and the absence of a pharmaceutical-grade supplier...

Court hears DULF founders felt "thrown under the bus by multiple institutions."

www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

Screenshot of report infographic available at https://imfg.org/research/doc/

Great new report on homeless encampment governance. The unhoused are rights-holders and all levels of government need to act like it. imfg.org/research/doc/

Yet another barrier for the unhoused…

Toronto reports more visible drug use after supervised injection sites closed down - Toronto | Globalnews.ca The City of Toronto is reporting an increase in visible drug use in the wake of the Ford government's decision to pull funding for several safe-injection sites earlier this year.

globalnews.ca/news/1154127...

Today, DULF co-founders launch their constitutional challenge to Canada’s drug laws that criminalize possession for the purposes of trafficking.

“[The law] is over broad in that it prohibits non medical safer supply programs no matter how efficacious” - lawyer Tim Dickson

@pressprogress.ca

It has such a horrible impact on those few Indigenous folks who have managed to break into settler institutions. Because the question becomes - if colonizers only value frauds dressed as NDNs, what does that say about actual Indigenous folks in these spaces? Such an insidious undermining.

It's funny because even though this has been a known issue in NDN country for aaaaages, and I still feel like no one is actually prepared for the fallout. Folks really don't understand how deep this stuff goes and how many people end up hurt.

Involuntary treatment for substance use: application of Kass’ ethical framework to Alberta’s Compassionate Intervention Act Key points In Canada, more than 50 000 opioid-related deaths have occurred since September 2024, mostly in British Columbia, Alberta, and Ontario, where governments are all in various stages of develo...

I contributed to this @cmaj.ca Commentary because:

1. Choosing control over care is a failure of imagination that invites despair; and,

2. Health equity requires advocacy.

#HealthEquity
#DecolonizeCare
#CareOverControl
@dsdp.ca @nobill53ab.bsky.social
www.cmaj.ca/lookup/doi/10.1503/cmaj.250910

“The decision to override Charter rights fails this test.”

The Anglican, Lutheran and United Churches in Alberta have written to Danielle Smith condemning her use of the notwithstanding clause to punch down on the vulnerable Albertans.

#abpoli #ableg #cdnpoli

Alberta aims to curtail regulatory bodies from sanctioning workers for after-hours activities | CBC News Many Alberta workers could no longer be investigated by their licensing bodies for what they say outside of work hours, should the legislature pass a new bill.

Ugh. Yet MORE MAGA-style madness.

AB aims to curtail regulatory bodies from sanctioning workers www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

Reality:
- reg response to spread of misinformation rare (few "silenced")
- misinformation does great harm (um, measles status?)
- privilege of being prof comes with standards

Opinion: UCP use of notwithstanding clause an insult to Albertans Opinion: UCP use of notwithstanding clause an insult to Albertans

The UCP "have shown that they do not care about Albertans’ rights. They’ve shown that they’ll happily steamroll your rights as soon as they become inconvenient to the government. No matter who you are or who you vote for, that should scare you." #ableg calgaryherald.com/opinion/colu...

CRISM Addiction Rounds - YouTube This playlist shares webinar recordings from the CRISM Prairies hosted Addiction Rounds a new learning initiative addressing addiction related issues. These ...

CRISM Prairies has a national webinar series that launch in September.

If you are interested in supervised consumption services, rapid access to addiction medicine clinics, or compulsory drug treatment, check out the first three talks here:

www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...

Radio Active with Jessica Ng, Min Dhariwal | Live Radio | CBC Listen Jessica Ng and Min Dhariwal will catch you up with everything that happened during the day --- we'll explore the city with fresh eyes and have fun doing it. If you want to be entertained and informed ...

Great interview with my colleague Dr. Kathryn Dong about what the loss of the Royal Alex supervised consumption service means for patients and the hospital.

www.cbc.ca/listen/live-...

#ableg #yeg

YouTube video by CTV News Musician Corb Lund files application for petition to stop coal mining in the rockies

CTV: Alberta musician and rancher Corb Lund has filed a new application for a citizen's initiative petition to stop coal mining on the eastern slopes of the Rockies.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=-fQV...

Blue-filtered photo of an emergency department sign. Text reads, "Closure of Another Supervised Consumption Site Will Lead to More Harm. Read FOM's Response: friendsofmedicare.org/news"

Yet another Alberta Supervised Consumption Site is being shuttered, this one at the Royal Alex.

“Today’s announcement is yet another blow to evidence-based addictions care,” says FOM's Chris Gallaway: www.friendsofmedicare.org/closure_of_a...

➡️Take action: www.friendsofmedicare.org/isupportharm...

The UCP's pre-emptive use of the notwithstanding clause is further evidence of their populist approach to policymaking.

Pluralists -- whether progressives committed to minority rights or libertarians prizing checks & balances on government power -- must stand together against this over-reach.

Belatedly sharing this study on the rapid rise of manslaughter charges in Canada against people alleged to have shared or sold drugs that led to an accidental overdose death. Police agencies are quietly changing investigative procedures to recast medical emergencies as homicide scenes. #drugsky

Today, government introduced Bill 9 legislation invoking the notwithstanding clause to override a court ruling that protects youth access to gender-affirming care. This places government between a patient and their physician, undermining clinical autonomy. www.albertadoctors.org/news/publica...

The people who had been living in the encampments were evicted to nowhere

New qual paper from our team detailing emergency department staff perspectives on how the pandemic impacted care of patients with opioid use disorder. 🧪

doi.org/10.1007/s436...

Alberta’s private health proposal will leave more Albertans waiting longer for care: CMA Doctors across Canada are deeply concerned that the Alberta government’s proposed private care plan will leave more Albertans waiting even longer to access health care.

Doctors across Canada are deeply concerned that the #Alberta government’s proposed private care plan will leave more Albertans waiting even longer to access health care. The CMA is calling on the government to reconsider this proposal, and focus on known solutions to support public health care.

With this leaked document it will be difficult for the UCP to deny their endgame is to privatize healthcare in Alberta. As is the case with the dismantling of AHS, there is no evidence to support this. To the contrary, both will further weaken the public healthcare system.