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drugdatadecoded.ca
Euan Thomson
@drugdatadecoded.ca
5.7K followers 1.9K following 3.1K posts
Investigations on the Alberta Recovery Model: www.drugdatadecoded.ca

✍️ APTN, Alberta Views, The Breach, The Tyee

PhD Microbiology

Banner: Access to information in Alberta
Icon: Headshot of me in blue t-shirt
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drugdatadecoded.ca
Euan Thomson @drugdatadecoded.ca · Sep 26
🧵 My story, "What's Wrong With Rehab?" won Gold for Long-Form at Alberta Magazine Awards last night!

Thanks to @albertaviews.bsky.social & all who shared expertise: Brandon Shaw, Esther Tailfeathers, @ehyshka.bsky.social, David Hodgins & recovery workers. 1/
albertaviews.ca/whats-wrong-...
What’s Wrong With Rehab? The lack of accountability in the “Alberta Model” for dealing with drug use By Euan thomson March 1, 2024 A A A On a frigid February night in Edmonton, I’m downtown with 4B Harm Reduction. The street outreach conducted by this non-profit society is time-tested—scour the city’s forgotten corners for people who need support. On any given shift, they might respond to drug poisonings, frostbite, heatstroke, hunger, fatigue-induced psychosis or the many barriers to accessing shelter. Mostly 4B aims to keep hope alive despite society’s structural neglect. Tonight we’ve gathered in an underground LRT station passageway. Beside us, a long stretch of yellow fencing separates us from a lone electrical outlet, a rare treasure in public spaces. The outlet was recently deemed too popular among the city’s unhoused citizens—hence the fence. Through slurred speech, Brandon Shaw fawns over my toque, which reads “Hoot ’n’ Blow” beside an owl logo. I offer it as a trade for his, but he declines. Someone later explains Shaw was afraid he’d picked up lice in the shelters. He was protecting me.
Reposted by Euan Thomson
jameswsthomson.com
This morning in Vancouver, Amber Bracken will take on the RCMP in a historic lawsuit brought by @thenarwhal.ca over her arrest while working in the field. @arnokopecky.bsky.social on why this lawsuit matters.
A historic fight for press freedom begins
Four years after a dramatic arrest, Amber Bracken and The Narwhal are turning the tables and suing the RCMP. The trial starts today.
www.nationalobserver.com
January 12, 2026 at 2:56 PM
drugdatadecoded.ca
Great coverage Arno. All that context back to Justin Brake’s arrest is really helpful
January 12, 2026 at 3:27 PM
Reposted by Euan Thomson
arnokopecky.bsky.social
As resource extraction and protests are both poised to ramp up — and with events in the US highlighting how unhinged "law enforcement" can get — the freedom for journalists to scrutinize tense interactions has never mattered more.

Big trial, starting today.

www.nationalobserver.com/2026/01/12/a...
A historic fight for press freedom begins
Four years after a dramatic arrest, Amber Bracken and The Narwhal are turning the tables and suing the RCMP. The trial starts today.
www.nationalobserver.com
January 12, 2026 at 3:18 PM
drugdatadecoded.ca
peak slimeball politics
thetyee.ca The Tyee @thetyee.ca · 1h
Since 2020, “rule of law” became politicians’ mantra, urging police to shut down #Wetsuweten solidarity blockades.

Fast-forward six years, the line has been abandoned in favour of something suggesting law is not so much a rule but something to be manipulated.

@amandafollett.bsky.social writes. 🪧💬
What Happened to the ‘Rule of Law’? | The Tyee
It was a common refrain during the Wet’suwet’en pipeline conflict. But when courts side with First Nations, politicians are more equivocal.
thetyee.ca
January 12, 2026 at 3:04 PM
drugdatadecoded.ca
I have emphasized since AHS allegations broke in February that all major contracts issued by the Ministry of Mental Health and Addiction, where Marshall Smith was chief of staff from 2019-22, should be reviewed by the Auditor General.

This includes DORS. 12/
drugdatadecoded.ca/marshall-smi...
Marshall Smith allegations should prompt full procurement investigation
The Globe & Mail is reporting top-level allegations that Marshall Smith, former chief of staff to the Alberta premier, interfered in AHS procurement. If a forensic investigation proceeds, it must exte...
drugdatadecoded.ca
January 12, 2026 at 2:27 PM
drugdatadecoded.ca
That reporting by Rusnell for @thetyee.ca showed ROSC Solutions Group (RSG), which runs 5 companies on Alberta public funding, touring a building with ministry staff months before Sam Mraiche bought it and leased it to RSG for a detox centre (via Métis Nation). 11/
thetyee.ca/News/2026/01...
Another Building Purchase by Sam Mraiche Raises Questions | The Tyee
Not long after Addiction Ministry representatives toured the property, Mraiche bought it. Now it’s a detox centre leased to Métis Nation of Alberta.
thetyee.ca
January 12, 2026 at 2:23 PM
drugdatadecoded.ca
This story also links the DORS app saga into the CorruptCare scandal.

The CEO of a company @charlesrusnell.bsky.social reported is profiting from questionable AB govt procurement was the chair of a 2021 panel that reportedly set the table for DORS. 10/
drugdatadecoded.ca/overdose-app...
Overdose app falters as Alberta government accelerates war on supervised consumption
Launched to government fanfare on sole-source contracts, the Digital Overdose Response System app is barely used most days and has registered just 51 ambulance dispatches over four years –– around 0.1...
drugdatadecoded.ca
January 12, 2026 at 2:19 PM
Reposted by Euan Thomson
lukelebrun.ca
Do Canadian MPs actually connect with the public on X?

I looked at RTs and views for every tweet* sent by Liberal MPs yesterday

Out of 46 tweets, 21 Liberal MPs racked up a combined 475 retweets

34% had zero RTs. Only 17% got more than 10 RTs

3 tweets accounted for over half of all engagement
Name Retweets Views Iqra Khalid 0 88 Maggie Chi 1 33 Hedy Fry 0 246 Maninder Sidhu 8 906 Maninder Sidhu 2 269 Shafqat Ali 1 72 Shafqat Ali 0 53 Rob Oliphant 1 216 Aslam Rana 0 48 Rob Oliphant 3 215 Taleeb Noormohamed 3 645 Rob Oliphant 2 188 Rob Oliphant 0 119 Eleanor Olzewski 3 221 Eleanor Olzewski 1 124 Randeep Sarai 0 167 Randeep Sarai 0 105 Anita Anand 8 2000 Sima Acan 0 120 Anita Anand 5 1400 Ali Ehasassi 13 2000 Ali Ehasassi 33 15000 Anita Anand 21 8200 Anita Anand 3 963 Maninder Sidhu 131 19000 Maninder Sidhu 2 450 Yasir Naqvi 1 233 Sameer Zuberi 0 141 Randeep Sarai 0 141 Randeep Sarai 0 124 Terry Duguid 0 359 Sameer Zuberi 0 124 Marjorie Michel 0 58 Marjorie Michel 3 93 Sima Acan 0 78 John Zerucelli 2 132 Anita Anand 5 1200 Anita Anand 25 2800 Francois-Philippe Champagne 60 6300 Francois-Philippe Champagne 9 1500 Anita Anand 37 4400 Anita Anand 7 2400 Marianne Dandurand 0 25 Anita Anand 78 10000 Anita Anand 5 1800 Ben Carr 2 205
January 12, 2026 at 1:27 PM
Reposted by Euan Thomson
mehlerpaperny.bsky.social
Canada isn't banning X and its ministers continue to use it. Ok. What are the consequences of creating child sex abuse material and deepfake porn? www.thestar.com/news/canada/...
Canada not considering a ban on X over deepfake controversy, AI minister says
The platform, which is owned by Elon Musk, has been embroiled in controversy over sexualized deepfakes of women and children created by X’s chatbot Grok.
www.thestar.com
January 11, 2026 at 8:20 PM
Reposted by Euan Thomson
rnretiree.bsky.social
Supervised Consumption Service Closures will lead to More Harm and Busier Emergency Rooms www.friendsofmedicare.org/supervised_c...
Supervised Consumption Site Closures will lead to More Harm and Busier Emergency Rooms
Supervised Consumption Service Closures will lead to More Harm and Busier Emergency Rooms
www.friendsofmedicare.org
January 2, 2026 at 9:57 PM
drugdatadecoded.ca
Got anything to say about the finding that supervised consumption sites reduce crime, or the decades of evidence that cops do not?
www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
Crime rates declined over time near Toronto supervised drug consumption sites, study suggests | CBC News
A new study has found that overdose prevention sites and supervised consumption sites were not associated with overall increases in crime rates in Toronto neighbourhoods.
www.cbc.ca
January 11, 2026 at 5:13 PM
drugdatadecoded.ca
He liked their ten percent off! Shame they weren’t very discreet.
Around the same time, Solomon was trying to sell Bailey’s art to Mark Carney, who in 2013 left the Bank of Canada to become governor of the Bank of England. Carney has been a guest of Solomon’s on CBC over the years, the last time in April, 2014. In the fall of 2014, Solomon was successful in brokering a deal for Bailey to sell a $22,500 painting to Carney, who lives in England. A previous attempt in the summer to sell another painting had fallen through. The sale was finalized on Dec. 18, 2014. “Good news my partner,” Solomon wrote in an email to Bailey. “We just sold the Kim Dorland to Mark Carney! A great client and his circle is very wide. He liked our 10 per cent off!” Carney would not speak with the Star. His spokesman at the Bank of England said that “Governor Carney has no enduring professional relationship with Mr. Solomon. He never comments on matters relating to his personal life.” The five-by-six-foot oil painting by Dorland, an artist from Alberta, was originally priced at $25,000. Bailey agreed to reduce the price to Carney by 10 per cent because Carney and Solomon were friends. Solomon, in an email to Bailey, noted Carney has a “super sensitive” position in England and Carney had advised him that he had to be very “discreet” about this purchase. Solomon provided Bailey with Carney’s home address for shipping and Bailey handled those arrangements.
January 11, 2026 at 5:10 PM
drugdatadecoded.ca
If he folded so easily on his own business, imagine what people could make him do to X
“I have never been involved in an art business,” he said. “I have never sold any art to anyone.” When the Star inquired further, Solomon said he was involved but had done nothing wrong. “I have been involved in an art business and it is all disclosed to CBC.” Solomon then said: “I am no longer involved in the business. It is over.”
January 11, 2026 at 5:06 PM
Reposted by Euan Thomson
nkalamb.bsky.social
I’m old enough to remember the anti-genocide encampments y’all defamed.
I'm struck by the contrast between the passion for democracy shown by Iranians willing to die for it and the complacency with which many Americans have accepted an authoritarian slide. Americans should cheer for Iran's democrats--and also learn from their determination.
January 11, 2026 at 4:46 PM
drugdatadecoded.ca
Where were you when Michael Brown was killed by officer Darren Wilson?

Here’s what Evan Solomon and Mark Carney were doing.
www.thestar.com/news/gta/cbc...
CBC host Evan Solomon fired after Star investigation finds he took secret cut of art deals
CBC journalist facilitated sales of art to wealthy Canadians he dealt with in his job — including one buyer who had no idea Solomon was collecting a commission.
www.thestar.com
January 11, 2026 at 4:48 PM
drugdatadecoded.ca
Around 2014, when Solomon was using his CBC job to peddle art to Mark Carney, BLM was mobilizing against racist state brutality in Ferguson.

Now Carney has tasked Solomon with cheerleading the worst evils of AI while ICE uses it to rebuild apartheid.
www.404media.co/ice-is-using...
January 11, 2026 at 4:45 PM
Reposted by Euan Thomson
parismarx.com
Not pissing off Elon Musk and Canada’s right-wing tech bros is far more important to Evan Solomon than protecting Canadians from deepfake sexual abuse and acting on child sexual abuse material.
rachelgilmore.bsky.social Rachel Gilmore @rachelgilmore.bsky.social · 1d
The concept of posting “Canada is not considering a ban of X” as a QUOTE of your post condemning deepfake sexual abuse happening **ON X** of women and kids………….
Evan Solomon posts, quoting his post condemning deepfake sexual abuse, that “Contrary to media reports, Canada is not considering a ban of X.”
January 11, 2026 at 6:16 AM
Reposted by Euan Thomson
juniorhoncho.bsky.social
this mf a Mii
theserfstv.bsky.social The Serfs (youtube.com/theserfstv) @theserfstv.bsky.social · 1d
Should be bigger news that the bureau chief of Toronto Sun is celebrating an unarmed woman being executed in the street
Bryan Passifiume "in this case the far left ended up catching a few well deserved bullets for their miscalculation " Bryan Ottawa bureau chief
January 11, 2026 at 1:18 AM
Reposted by Euan Thomson
vmcntosh.bsky.social
Woke up this morning to Canada’s Ministry of AI issuing either big tech can do what they want, or a high level of government is afraid of a white supremacist pedophile billionaire.

Sorry, but if you won’t take a hard line against CSAM, what’s the point?
January 11, 2026 at 12:15 PM
Reposted by Euan Thomson
timaltmann.bsky.social
If Brazil can do it so can the UK - assuming they have the guts to ban paedophilia

Elon Musk backs down in his fight with Brazilian judges to restore X
www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
Elon Musk backs down in his fight with Brazilian judges to restore X
The platform agrees to appoint a legal representative in Brazil, pays fines and takes down user accounts that the court had ordered removed
www.theguardian.com
January 10, 2026 at 3:35 PM
Reposted by Euan Thomson
rachelgilmore.bsky.social
The concept of posting “Canada is not considering a ban of X” as a QUOTE of your post condemning deepfake sexual abuse happening **ON X** of women and kids………….
Evan Solomon posts, quoting his post condemning deepfake sexual abuse, that “Contrary to media reports, Canada is not considering a ban of X.”
January 11, 2026 at 5:51 AM
Reposted by Euan Thomson
timbousquet.bsky.social
Folks, the "Minister of AI" has the moral backbone of a sleazy backroom art dealer.
A tweet from Evan Solomon reads: "Contrary to media reports, Canada is not considering a ban of X."
January 11, 2026 at 10:42 AM
Reposted by Euan Thomson
drugdatadecoded.ca
SCOOP 🧵
The DORS app was supposed to keep people safe while using drugs at home. But in 4 years, it has activated just 51 ambulances.

The app isn't used 41% of days.

Meanwhile, the AB govt is dismantling the option that works: supervised consumption. 1/
drugdatadecoded.ca/overdose-app...
Overdose app falters as Alberta government accelerates war on supervised consumption
Launched to government fanfare on sole-source contracts, the Digital Overdose Response System app is barely used most days and has registered just 51 ambulance dispatches over four years –– around 0.1...
drugdatadecoded.ca
January 10, 2026 at 4:57 PM
Reposted by Euan Thomson
spinster777.bsky.social
"In fact, reports of robberies, thefts over $5,000, bicycle thefts, and thefts from motor vehicles all plateaued or declined.

As for auto thefts and assaults, the data showed no consistent association with the sites, the study found."
drugdatadecoded.ca Euan Thomson @drugdatadecoded.ca · 1d
What can people do right now?

Protect the remaining supervised consumption sites in AB: call your municipal reps, organize rallies, do everything people have done since 2019 to protect them!

Spread the word: Science Says SCS Reduce Crime. 8/
www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
Claims that crime spikes around supervised drug consumption sites unfounded: study | CBC News
As Manitoba mulls a probable location for the province's first supervised consumption site, researchers say similar sites in Toronto were generally not tied to increases in local crime.
www.cbc.ca
January 10, 2026 at 8:10 PM
drugdatadecoded.ca
Medicine Hat needs to have a conversation with Saskatoon about how to run services on private dollars, like Prairie Harm Reduction. This may increasingly have to be the model until the UCP is unelected/recalled/behind bars.
January 10, 2026 at 5:21 PM