B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
Health Canada is reminding Canadians that ivermectin should not be used to treat or prevent COVID-19, after poison control centres saw an increase in reports about the anti-parasitic drug over the summer months.
In an update to a warning on its site, Health Canada said ivermectin has been authorized for human use as a prescription drug to treat parasitic worm infections. It has not been authorized for use against COVID-19.
“There is no evidence that ivermectin works to prevent or treat COVID-19, and it is not authorized for this use,” Health Canada said.
“Health Canada has not received any drug submission or applications for clinical trials for ivermectin for the prevention or treatment of COVID-19.”
It added that prescription drugs should only be taken under the advice and supervision of a health-care professional.
Health Canada first issued a warning against taking ivermectin to treat COVID-19 in August after receiving reports that people were using veterinary ivermectin to treat and prevent COVID.
Veterinary ivermectin is approved for use in animals to prevent certain heartworm diseases and other parasites, but it can be dangerous for humans, especially if taken in high doses, Health Canada said.
Side effects of taking veterinary ivermectin can include vomiting, diarrhea, low blood pressure, allergic reactions, and death in serious cases, said Health Canada.
“Canadians should never consume health products intended for animals because of potential serious health risks, including seizures, coma and even death.”
Scientists have been warning against taking ivermectin for COVID-19 since as early as January 2021.
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
An orca whale calf that has been stranded in a B.C. lagoon for weeks after her pregnant mother died swam out on her own early Friday morning.
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
Donald Trump's defence team attacked the credibility Friday of the prosecution's first witness in his hush money case, seeking to discredit testimony detailing a scheme between Trump and a tabloid to bury negative stories to protect the Republican's 2016 presidential campaign.
An American Airlines flight attendant was indicted Thursday after authorities said he tried to secretly record video of a 14-year-old girl using an airplane bathroom last September.
Devastating tornadoes tore across parts of eastern Nebraska and northeast Texas Friday as a multi-day severe thunderstorm event ramped up in the central United States.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
A property tax bill is perplexing a small townhouse community in Fergus, Ont.
When identical twin sisters Kim and Michelle Krezonoski were invited to compete against some of the world’s most elite female runners at last week’s Boston Marathon, they were in disbelief.
The giant stone statues guarding the Lions Gate Bridge have been dressed in custom Vancouver Canucks jerseys as the NHL playoffs get underway.
A local Oilers fan is hoping to see his team cut through the postseason, so he can cut his hair.
A family from Laval, Que. is looking for answers... and their father's body. He died on vacation in Cuba and authorities sent someone else's body back to Canada.
A former educational assistant is calling attention to the rising violence in Alberta's classrooms.
The federal government says its plan to increase taxes on capital gains is aimed at wealthy Canadians to achieve “tax fairness.”
At 6'8" and 350 pounds, there is nothing typical about UBC offensive lineman Giovanni Manu, who was born in Tonga and went to high school in Pitt Meadows.