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.
Following the deaths of more than 300 children from contaminated cough syrups in several countries, Health Canada says it's been more than a decade since similar cases were identified here.
The children died in 2022 in Gambia, Indonesia and Uzbekistan after taking over-the-counter cough syrups tainted with high levels of diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol.
"These contaminants are toxic chemicals used as industrial solvents and antifreeze agents that can be fatal even taken in small amounts, and should never be found in medicines," the World Health Organization (WHO) warned in a statement this week. "Since these are not isolated incidents WHO calls on various key stakeholders engaged in the medical supply chain to take immediate and coordinated action."
According to the WHO, at least seven countries may be impacted, including the Philippines, Timor Leste, Senegal and Cambodia. The contaminated cough syrups appear to have been manufactured in India and Indonesia. Most of the victims were under the age of five and died from acute kidney injury.
In a statement to CTVNews.ca, a Health Canada spokesperson said there is no reason for alarm in Canada.
"Health Canada has not received any complaints or similar reports related to glycol contamination in cough and cold syrups," a Health Canada spokesperson told CTVNews.ca. "In 2022, the Department was made aware of this issue by international regulatory partners and conducted a thorough assessment which did not identify any Canadian impact."
The spokesperson added that Health Canada has not received a report of serious adverse reactions related to glycol-contaminated medicines for more than 10 years.
"Canadian companies must ensure that the drug products that they sell in Canada comply with Health Canada's stringent regulatory requirements for safety and quality," the spokesperson explained. "These requirements apply whether the drug products are manufactured domestically or abroad."
All drugs that are manufactured or imported for sale in Canada are subject to the Food and Drugs Act, and the Food and Drug Regulations, which are overseen by Health Canada. To get a licence to import drugs into Canada, foreign production sites must also demonstrate their compliance with Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), which is a system of international quality standards. Cases of potential non-compliance with Canadian standards and regulations can be investigated by Health Canada with the help of the Canada Border Services Agency.
Health Canada encourages anyone who has information about the sale or advertising of “non-compliant” products to report it using the "Health Product Complaint Form" form, available at healthycanadians.gc.ca.
With files from Reuters
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.
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.
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.
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.
The Canadian Transportation Agency has hit a record high of more than 71,000 complaints in a backlog. The quasi-judicial regulator and tribunal tasked with settling disputes between customers and the airlines says the backlog is growing because the number of incoming complaints keeps increasing.
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 Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
Philadelphia 76ers All-Star centre Joel Embiid has been diagnosed with Bell’s palsy, a form of facial paralysis he says has affected him since before the play-in tournament.
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.
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.