Collection at a glance:
External links
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Reducing cannabis and chemical exposure risks in Canada: Strategies and resources for public safety (2024)
Unintended exposures to cannabis and to chemicals and pollutants in and around the home pose risks to public health and safety in Canada. Hosted by Sarah Macdonald from Parachute, this webinar will highlight two Health Canada initiatives targeting risk management and reduction in these areas.
First, presenter Sieara Plebon-Huff, Scientific Evaluator in Health Canada’s Office of Cannabis Science and Surveillance – Pharmacovigilance Division, will introduce participants to Health Canada’s Vigilance Framework for Cannabis. Participants will hear about data findings, key issues (e.g., pediatric cannabis exposures), and activities and resources developed by the program to help track and mitigate these exposures.
Second, presenters Odette Bose and Heloise Tachaeur from Health Canada’s Environmental Health Program will share outreach activities conducted under the Chemicals Management Plan aimed at helping people reduce environmental risks posed by chemicals and pollutants in and around the home. Participants will learn about the resources and tools used by Risk Communication and Public Involvement Officers to support public outreach and engagement for poison prevention awareness and chemical exposure reduction.
Presenters:
Sieara Plebon-Huff
Scientific Evaluator, Controlled Substances and Cannabis Branch, Health CanadaOdette Bose
Risk Communication and Public Involvement Officer in Alberta and North region, Regulatory, Operations and Enforcement Branch, Health CanadaHeloise Tachaeur
Risk Communication and Public Involvement Officer in Ontario, Regulatory, Operations and Enforcement Branch, Health Canada -
Drug checking: Harm reduction practices for unregulated drug use at Canadian music festivals (2024)
Each year, British Columbia is home to two of the largest electronic music festivals in Canada. At these events, drug use is an integral part of the culture and most attendees interact with drugs in one way or another. The death of at least five young adults in 2014 at music festivals in Canada, where drug use was likely a contributing factor, spurred a national effort to establish evidence-based harm reduction strategies for drug use at music festivals. Drug checking, a non-judgemental and nuanced chemical analysis of substances that allows people to know what is in their substances and potentially take action to reduce the risk of any related harms, emerged out of this work. In addition to potentially helping prevent substance-related toxicity, the analysis of drug checking data contributes to understanding of the types and contents of substances used in music festival settings.
Hosted by Sarah Macdonald from Parachute, this webinar will provide insight into the development of evidence-based harm reduction strategies at music festivals and share learnings from the implementation of drug checking, in particular. The webinar will include presentations from Antoine Marcheterre, Drug Checking Lead, Interior Health and Jarred Aasen, Pharmacist, Founder of Lantern Services and Co-Founder/Co-Author of the Drug Resource and Education (DRED) Project. A Q&A session will follow their presentations. With a focus on drug use prevalence and poison prevention at music festivals, the presentations will emphasize a philosophy of taking up non-prohibitive methods to keep people safe.
Presenters:
Antoine Marcheterre, Drug Checking Lead, Interior Health
Jarred Aasen, Licenced Pharmacist, Founder of Lantern Services, Co-Founder/Co-Author of the Drug Resource and Education (DRED) Project -
Pan-Canadian Poison Centres 2020 Annual Report
This report, produced by the Canadian Association of Poison Centres and Clinical Toxicologists, Health Canada and Parachute, presents the most current data (2020) from all five of Canada’s poison centres. The report provides an overview of the number and nature of cases managed by posion centres across Canada and highlights the role of these centres in poison prevention efforts.
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Report a health and safety concern – Health Canada
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Submit questions or concerns about cannabis
The Government of Canada provides contact information for questions and concerns about a cannabis site, product, service, accessory, promotion, or other aspects of laws and regulations regarding cannabis.
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Polysubstance use poisoning deaths in Canada: an analysis of trends from 2014 to 2017 using mortality data
This study published in BMC Public Health examines changes over time in crude mortality rates and proportions of poisoning deaths involving more than one substance.
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Institute for Safe Medication Practices Canada
The Institute for Safe Medication Practices Canada (ISMP Canada) is an independent national not-for-profit organization committed to the advancement of medication safety in all healthcare settings.
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Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction
CCSA is a non-governmental organization providing national leadership on substance use and advancing solutions to address alcohol- and other drug-related harms.
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Child Safety Link
Child Safety Link works with the IWK Regional Poison Centre to help educate Maritime communities about poisoning prevention. The CSL website has information, resources and videos about preventing poisoning in children.
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Injury Prevention Centre (IPC)
The Injury Prevention Centre website has resources and toolkits about poisoning related to cannabis, medications, and household products.
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BC Injury Research and Prevention Unit (BCIRPU)
The BC Injury Research and Prevention Unit website has data and research on poisoning for all age groups.
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Atlantic Canada Poison Centre, Nova Scotia
The Atlantic Canada Poison Centre provides a 24-hour, phone consultation service to both the public and health professionals in Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. They provide consult services for health care professionals in New Brunswick concerning the management of poisoned patients.
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BC Drug and Poison Information Centre (DPIC)
The BC Drug and Poison Information Centre operates a 24-hour poison information line, as well as a drug information line for BC healthcare professionals. The BC DPIC website provides information and resources on poisoning and prevention, and serves B.C. and Yukon.
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Sentinel Surveillance of Substance-Related Poisonings in Canada: Spotlight on Cannabis
This surveillance summary presents statistics from April 2011 onward on poisonings from select substances including cannabis, alcohol, methamphetamine, opioids and e-cigarette/vaping products.
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Increases in exposure calls related to selected cleaners and disinfectants at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic: data from Canadian poison centres
This study published in Health Promotion and Chronic Disease Prevention in Canada presents results from poison centre data related to cleaning products for the years 2019-2020.
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Opioid and Stimulant-related Harms in Canada – PHAC
This update presents available data on overdoses and deaths involving opioids and/or stimulants from January 2016 to March 2024.
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Report a medication incident – ISMP Canada
The Institute for Safe Medication Practices Canada provides links to confidential reporting systems for health professionals, pharmacies, healthcare facilities, coroners and medical examiners, and the general public.
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Recalls and safety alerts – Health Canada
This Government of Canada website allows you to browse or search product recalls, advisories and alerts.
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Cost of Injury in Canada 2021
This report quantifies the cost of injury from a societal perspective, including costs to the health-care system, to productivity and to the people behind the numbers: individuals, families and communities.
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Poison prevention policy
Examine the issue of unintentional poisonings, the particular risk to children, and solutions to prevent poisonings
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Carbon monoxide alarm legislation
Defining the issue, problem and solution for carbon monoxide poisoning.
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Ontario Poison Centre
Serving Ontario, Manitoba, and Nunavut, this website has information for families and health professionals, including common causes of poisoning in Ontario.
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Québec Poison Control Centre
The Québec Poison Control Centre website has information and resources on poison prevention; basic information is provided in English and French, with extensive resources for professionals in French.
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Saskatchewan Prevention Institute: Poisoning
The SPI Poisoning webpage has provincial data on child poisonings and downloadable fact sheets, posters and activities.
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Poison and Drug Information Service (PADIS), Alberta
From Alberta Health Services, the webpage has information about PADIS services and answers to frequently asked questions. PADIS serves Alberta, Saskatchewan and the Northwest Territories.
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Canadian Association for Poison Centres and Clinical Toxicology
Infopoison.ca is the website for the Canadian Association of Poison Centres and Clinical Toxicology. It provides the contact information for provincial poison centres and resources about poison prevention.