Addiction Practice Pod

In Canada and around the world, colonial histories continue to influence people's access to determinants of good health. Our society continues to advantage White people, and addiction medicine is no exception. In this episode, Dr. Robert Fox, David Ball, and their guests discuss the intersections of race, ethnicity, and substance use. How can we make our clinics more accessible for people of diffe...

Evidence-based treatments often focus on a specific type of substance, like opioids or stimulants. However, many people have more than one substance that they use frequently.  In this episode, Dr. Lindsay Mackay, David Ball and their guests talk about co-occurring substance use and its implications in clinical care. In particular, they discuss co-occurring substance use as it relates to gende...

When it comes to treatment for substance use disorders, there’s no silver bullet. Medications can be important to support people with their recovery goals, but psychosocial treatments can provide a different kind of support and ensure medications provide the most benefit possible. In this episode, Christina Chant and David Ball talk with guests about psychosocial treatment approaches for substance...

Co-occurring chronic pain is common among people with substance use disorders, particularly opioid use disorder (OUD). Studies suggest that between 36 and 68% of people on opioid agonist treatment for OUD also have chronic pain. In this episode, Dr. Rita McCracken and David Ball talk with guests about chronic pain and OUD. How can we respond to new or changing pain for people already on opioid ago...

Alcohol use is highly prevalent, but there is still a lot of stigma associated with alcohol use disorder. In this episode of the Addiction Practice Pod, Dr. Roland Engelbrecht and David Ball talk with guests about alcohol harm reduction, treatment, and the impacts of alcohol use disorder on family and loved ones. We’d love to hear your feedback after the show. Find our evaluation, along with our s...

The overdose crisis is affecting all parts of the country, but the majority of research has focused on major cities, and the majority of services are located there too. In this episode of Addiction Practice Pod, Dr. Robert Fox talks with guests about substance use care in rural and remote contexts.

Nearly five British Columbians are dying every day of an overdose, but Indigneous peoples in our region face disproportionate harms: If you’re Indigenous, you are four times more likely to die of an overdose than the rest of the population In this episode, family physician and addiction medicine specialist Dr. Robert Fox and journalist David Ball discuss why clinicians should be mindful of th...

The criminalization of substance use causes demonstrable harms: it isolates people who use drugs, pushes them to use in riskier ways, and deters them from seeking help when they need it. Even so, the possession of illicit street drugs for personal consumption is still criminalized in British Columbia and the rest of Canada. In this episode, addiction physician Dr. Christy Sutherland and journalist...

Young people are the fastest-growing age demographic for hospitalizations due to opioid poisoning in Canada. In British Columbia, more than 1000 youth between the ages of 10 and 29 have died of overdose since a public health emergency was declared in 2016. This episode of Addiction Practice Pod focuses on caring for youth who use substances. Addiction physician Dr. Christy Sutherland, journalist D...

Research shows that people with substance use disorders are more likely to have a history of trauma and violence than the general population. This can include negative experiences with police and with medical professionals. On this episode of  Addiction Practice Pod , addiction physician Dr. Christy Sutherland and journalist David Ball take a deep dive into trauma and its links to substance u...

Want to bring treatment for substance use disorder into your practice, but not sure where to start? In this episode of  Addiction Practice Pod , addiction physician Dr. Christy Sutherland, journalist David P. Ball and their guests talk about the nuts and bolts of integrating treatment for opioid use disorder into a family practice. They also discuss the challenges that patients face in accessing m...

What does it take for people struggling with opioid use disorder to achieve recovery? And what does “recovery” mean to each person? In this episode of Addiction Practice Pod, addiction physician Dr. Christy Sutherland, journalist David Ball and their guests talk about the different ways in which people who use drugs define recovery, and how clinicians can support patients in achieving their recove...