mbeazely.bsky.social
@mbeazely.bsky.social
Associate Professor, School of Pharmacy, University of Waterloo
Associate Dean, Graduate and Postdoctoral Affairs, Faculty of Science
Reposted
A recent ODPRN study analyzing provincial harm reduction supply distribution revealed that public health units with the highest rates of opioid-related mortality also had among the highest distribution levels of harm reduction supplies.

odprn.ca/research/pub...
November 20, 2025 at 8:17 PM
Interesting paper capturing perspectives on cannabis harm reduction from youth, parents, and service providers. Introduction has a useful summary of post-legalization use numbers and trends:

pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC...
Reducing the harms of cannabis use in youth post-legalization: insights from Ontario youth, parents, and service providers
Canada has one of the highest prevalence of cannabis use globally, particularly among young adults aged 20–24 (50%) and youth aged 16–19 (37%). In 2018, Canada legalized recreational cannabis with the aim of protecting youth by restricting their ...
pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
November 17, 2025 at 11:00 AM
Reposted
🎮 PhD student Yuzhe You is using gaming to make AI more understandable and accessible for non-technical users! She even received $145K from various scholarships and research funds to support her vision

📲Read more here: uwaterloo.ca/computer-sci...
November 13, 2025 at 7:07 PM
New report from CCSA about online gambling in young Canadians, now almost 25% of 18-29 year olds, with online gambling platforms leading to the most harms:

www.ccsa.ca/en/online-ga...
Online Gambling Among Young Canadian Adults: A Call to Action | Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction
Highlights how young people in Canada, aged 18 to 29, are at higher risk of suffering from high levels of gambling-related harms, including financial, emotional, psychological and relationship harms. ...
www.ccsa.ca
November 13, 2025 at 12:00 PM
A study from Alberta suggesting that distributing 10,000 naloxone kits reduces opioid mortality by 23%. These are challenging studies to conduct but are crucial for establishing an evidence base for community naloxone distribution:

link.springer.com/article/10.1...
The effect of take-home naloxone kits on opioid-related deaths in Alberta, Canada: An ecological analysis - Canadian Journal of Public Health
Objective To estimate the association between publicly provided take-home naloxone kits and opioid-related deaths. Methods We analyzed 2732 opioid-related deaths and the distribution of 147,814 naloxo...
link.springer.com
November 11, 2025 at 11:08 AM
Reposted
"Without proper planning" and "without a needs assessment" - that is the determination of the Ontario Auditor General on the creation of Ontario HART Hubs. Our tax dollars and human lives in play.
December 3, 2024 at 4:37 PM
Reposted
New nitazene identified by @cantestcbr.bsky.social Isotocyanozene (5-cyanoisotonitazene). Harm reduction and early warning all wrapped into one.
September 22, 2025 at 10:35 PM
Reposted
Ontario expands pharmacists’ scope and plans broader roles for optometrists, psychologists, physiotherapists & more. These changes aim to boost access, cut wait times & ease pressure on ERs and family doctors. #ONhealth #Pharmacy

news.ontario.ca/en/release/1...
Ontario Newsroom
news.ontario.ca
September 19, 2025 at 7:16 PM
Many provinces saw decreases on opioid-related deaths in 2024 compared to 2025, but not all (QE, NL, NWT). The decrease were most pronounced in the West (BC, AB, YT): www.cbc.ca/news/health/...
www.cbc.ca
September 5, 2025 at 8:33 AM
GLP-1 agonists (e.g. Ozempic) have appear to have an interesting secondary effect on substance use. The Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction has a great summary of the latest data: www.ccsa.ca/en/glp-1s-su...
GLP-1s to Support Substance Use Health | Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction
Reviews recent evidence exploring the use of GLP-1s (glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists) to support people living with substance use disorders, systemic barriers to their implementation, and re...
www.ccsa.ca
September 4, 2025 at 11:14 AM
Reposted
Update from Toronto's Drug Checking Service shows carfentanil was found in 14% (18) of the fentanyl samples collected in Toronto - the most they have seen in a month to date.

View the data at: drugchecking.community

View their post at: www.instagram.com/p/DOJTpmWDq4J
September 3, 2025 at 7:40 PM
Reposted
The ODPRN is now accepting applications for our 2026 Drug Policy Student Training Program! Free access to online training and incredible networking opportunities with expert leaders in the field of drug policy.

To learn more and apply, visit: odprn.ca/about-the-od...
September 2, 2025 at 3:45 PM
Interesting news story about a new study focused on opioid use disorder and access to OAT in Northern Ontario: www.ctvnews.ca/northern-ont...
Sudbury doctor releases study on opioid addiction treatment
A team of researchers with Health Sciences North Research Institute is looking into why northeastern Ontario has some of the highest rates of opioid-related death in the province.
www.ctvnews.ca
September 2, 2025 at 10:49 AM
The Toronto Drug Checking Service provides reports every two weeks - you can sign up for email alerts too: drugchecking.community/reports/
Reports - Toronto's Drug Checking Service
drugchecking.community
September 1, 2025 at 11:04 AM
The Opioid and Opioid Use Disorder resources was an interdisciplinary Canadian collaboration to create an opioid educational resource for social work, nursing, and pharmacy students, but it is quite accessible to other health care practitioners, service providers, and the public!
OUOUD
ououd.casn.ca
July 28, 2025 at 1:15 PM
Fentanyl and all the fentanyl analogues can be confusing. Working with Sanguen several School of Pharmacy and other volunteers put together a series of 1-pagers about fentanyl analogues:
Important Facts About Fentanyl and Analogs – Sanguen Health Centre
sanguen.com
July 26, 2025 at 1:36 PM
Individuals experiencing opioid-induced respiratory depression, AKA, opioid overdose, present with consistent symptoms: unresponsive, cold, clammy skin, little or no breathing, blue lips, nails, etc. However given the current unregulated opioid supply, additional or unusual symptoms may present:
www.ccsa.ca
July 23, 2025 at 10:41 AM
Recent blog post about the current state of the unregulated opioid supply in Ontario/Canada:
The State of the Unregulated Drug Supply in Ontario
By: Prof. Michael A. Beazely, Associate Professor at the University of Waterloo's School of Pharmacy and Gateway Centre of Excellence in Rural Health's Chair of Rural Substance Use A Brief History The...
www.gatewayruralhealth.ca
July 22, 2025 at 2:00 PM