Opinion: A SAD dilemma
As autumn sets in and the sunlit hours of each day diminish, some people begin to notice that their moods dim along with the daylight. Northerners generally begin to feel the effects earlier in the fall, as the shrinkage of their daylight is earlier and more pronounced. Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is real. It was...
Fentanyl detected in 81% of illicit drug deaths in B.C. in 2017
Fentanyl has been detected in more than four of every five illicit-drug overdose deaths in British Columbia through the first seven months of 2017, according to the latest statistics from the BC Coroners Service. From January through July 2017, 706 of the 876 suspected illicit drug deaths had fentanyl detected, representing...
Labour Day Message —We have a lot to celebrate
For the first time in 16 years, B.C. workers have much to celebrate on Labour Day. Both the B.C. NDP and the B.C. Green Party campaigned for a government that would make life more affordable, fix the services people count on, create jobs, act on climate change, and build a sustainable economy that works for everyone. Now,...
What you need to know about NAFTA's investigation into tar sands tailings leaks
By James Wilt. This article originally appeared on Desmog Canada. For years environmental organizations have called on the federal government to do something about the leakage of billions of litres of toxic chemicals from Alberta’s oilsands tailings ponds into the Athabasca River every year. And for years they’ve been ignored...
Editorial: On pain, drugs and addiction
The opioid crisis is deeply troubling, for many reasons. One reason is the tragic deaths of so many, so unnecessarily; another reason is the likelihood that those deaths were precipitated by pain, either physical or psychological, that caused a search for relief in the illicit drugs that were fatally used. Another reason is...
COLUMN: Getting back on track for September
September and October is usually a time when everyone gets back into their routines, whether work, school or home. This is a great time to see if you have established a good foundation for the winter months ahead. Let’s start at the basis of health ― sleep. It’s extremely important that everyone has at...
COLUMN: Wildfires are a wake-up call
Wildfires are sweeping B.C. Close to 900 have burned through 600,000 hectares so far this year, blanketing western North America with smoke. Fighting them has cost more than $230 million — and the season is far from over. It’s not just B.C. Thousands of people from B.C. to California have fled homes as fires rage. Greenland...
Buy a Blizzard, help our kids this Miracle Treat Day #TeamZach
Today’s the big day, where you can blow that diet and enjoy a cooling and delicious Blizzard at Dairy Queen – guilt free! It’s Miracle Treat Day, which means all the net proceeds from Blizzards sold in B.C. Dairy Queens today will go to the B.C. Children’s Hospital (and in other provinces, to support their […]
Opinion: Drinking and driving; should Canada lower the limit?
How much alcohol should a person be allowed to have in her bloodstream while being in control of a motor vehicle? Is there a "safe" limit below which someone is not really impaired, or not too impaired? Canada's Justice Minister, Jody Wilson-Raybould, is considering lowering the blood-alcohol content limit that constitutes...
COLUMN: Ten Ways to be Cooler in This Heat
It’s been a challenge for most of us to handle the abnormally high temperatures and constant sunshine over the last two months, so drink and eat to be cool! 1. Drink cooling herbal teas. Many herbs are cooling to the body, so, blend a tea with peppermint or spearmint, put it in the fridge and drink during the day for...