Given the emergence of relatively new cosmetic procedures such as eyebrow microblading, Interior Health is reminding the public to exercise caution when considering such services. Specifically, users should ensure the establishments they visit have safeguards in place to protect their health.   Microblading, also known as...

A new study from UBC suggests that marijuana, long feared by some as a "gateway" to drug abuse generally, may  be able to act as a gateway in the other direction:  it could have a medical use in helping people recover from alcoholism and opioid addiction.  But more research is needed. “Research suggests that people may be...

The updated statistics from the BC Coroners Service released Wednesday show the number of illicit drug overdose deaths has increased over the month of October. The BC Coroners Service said for the first 10 months of 2016, the number of illicit drug overdoses was 622, compared to 397 for the same period last year. The total ...

You can’t physically move an entire regional intensive care unit (ICU), but Interior Health is banking on telehealth technology to help. For hospitals in Kootenay Boundary without an ICU, specialists are using this technology to bring ICU expertise to emergency departments (EDs) in real time to care for critically ill or...

British Columbia’s Chief Electoral Officer, Keith Archer, has granted approval in principle on an initiative petition application. The petition will be issued to proponent Joshua Henshaw on Monday, January 9, 2017. The title of the initiative is: An initiative to amend the Fire and Police Services Collective Bargaining Act....

A recent scathing opinion piece by Murray Dobbin outlined the shortcomings of food in some health care facilities administered by the Vancouver Coastal Health Authority (VCHA). Both the quality and the quantity of the food served were reported as inadequate, even for institutional food which is understandably challenging to...

                Especially with the damp and cold weather this year, I’ll be expecting phone calls from parents with sick children (or themselves if they were dipping into the candy too much) about a week after Hallowe’en. I see many colds and flus due to the increased amount of sugar. As I stated in a past article, 1 tsp of...

A beaver arrived at Star Gulch Reservoir a while ago, and made his or her presence known by chewing nearly through some trees along the water's edge, one of which was nearly 40 centimetres in diameter; see the photo above.  It might have been interesting and educational to have a beaver family living in the reservoir, but...

It has long been well known that fine particulates and volatile organic compounds (VOC’s) containing carcinogens, including benzene and other toxic chemicals, are released from wood burning stoves and that these are a proven serious health hazard.  However, what is not widely known is the scale or magnitude of the impact of...

In July, a pipeline leak near Maidstone, Saskatchewan, spilled about 250,000 litres of diluted oil sands bitumen into the North Saskatchewan River, killing wildlife and compromising drinking water for nearby communities, including Prince Albert. It was one of 11 spills in the province over the previous year. In October, a...