MEDtalks – Emergency: Drug Use and Addiction in the 21st Century

In April 2016, BC declared a public health emergency in response to the rapid rise of fatal and non-fatal drug overdoses in the province. Since then, the problem has only worsened, with the number of overdose deaths in 2017 exceeding 2016’s totals by a significant margin. What are the factors contributing to this crisis and what are the consequences of this increase in drug use and addiction? How can we support individuals at higher risk and can changes to policy mitigate overdose risk?

Hear from four top UBC researchers and clinicians from UBC Faculties of Medicine, Dentistry, Arts and Pharmaceutical Sciences as they present their research in a series of short MEDtalks.

MEDtalks Titles and Presenters

Mental health, addiction and oral health
Leeann Donnelly, BDSc'02; MSc'05; PhD'12 - Assistant Professor, Faculty of Dentistry, UBC

Pharmacists' response to the opioid crisis
Tamara Mihic, BSc'13, PharmD'16 - Clinical Pharmacy Specialist, Mental Health, St. Paul's Hospital; Clinical Instructor & Lecturer, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, UBC

Socio-economic drivers of substance use and overdose.
Lindsey Richardson, BA'01 - Assistant Professor, Sociology, Faculty of Arts, UBC; Research Scientist, British Columbia Centre on Substance Use

The overdose crisis in Canada. Preventable or predictable?
Mark Tyndall - Executive Director, BC Centre for Disease Control; Deputy Provincial Health Officer; Professor, School of Population and Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, UBC

Presented by UBC Faculty of Medicine, Faculty of Dentistry, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Faculty of Arts, in partnership with alumni UBC.

Recorded April 19, 2018, at UBC Robson Square in downtown Vancouver, BC.