Brishti Basu

Brishti reports on health care, drug policy, mental health, policing, race, sexual violence and the intersections between them. She was a finalist for several prestigious national and provincial awards for her work as a Capital Daily staff reporter. Her freelance reporting has been published in publications such as VICE, the Tyee, the Narwhal, National Geographic and BBC Future. She’s based in Victoria, Canada.

BC Doctor Who Organized Pop-Up OPS Resigns Following Retaliation

Two months after organizing one of the unsanctioned overdose prevention sites (OPS) that launched a movement across Canada, a British…

February 6, 2025

Trudeau Promises Canada “Fentanyl Czar” to Avoid Trump Tariffs

In a successful bid to stave off impending tariffs from President Donald Trump, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau resurfaced a…

February 6, 2025

Nearly Half BC’s New “Substance-Use Treatment Beds” Provide No Treatment

British Columbia recently unveiled 26 publicly funded "substance-use treatment beds" in four communities across the province. Six of the beds…

February 3, 2025

More Unsanctioned OPC to Pop Up Outside Hospitals Across Canada

Two months after doctors in British Columbia set up a pair of unsanctioned overdose prevention centers (OPC) outside local hospitals,…

January 22, 2025

Documents Show BC Scrapped OPC Plan at Hospitals Where Pop-Ups Ran

On November 18, the newly organized group Doctors for Safer Drug Policy set up unsanctioned overdose prevention sites on the…

November 22, 2024

Unsanctioned Overdose Prevention Sites Open Outside Two BC Hospitals

After two weeks in Royal Jubilee Hospital with a bad bout of pneumonia, Jared had stepped outside to smoke. Not…

November 18, 2024

Why Are Alcohol Use Disorder Meds Underprescribed in British Columbia?

Public health insurance in British Columbia covers some treatments for alcohol use disorder (AUD), but not others. Medications (MAUD) like…

August 8, 2023

In BC Public Housing, Older Drug Users Denied Home Health Services

Inside supportive housing facilities in Kelowna, British Columbia, residents who use drugs reported that publicly funded health care services were…

May 8, 2023

“A Stable Foundation”: Meet the 22-Year-Old Suing Alberta for Safe Supply

There are many things that Ophelia Black, 22, would like to do. Going back to school, building a career and…

March 21, 2023

BC Indigenous Drug Users Describe Pattern of Forced Discharges From ED

In 2011, public health researchers in Vancouver began conducting interviews with people who use drugs and had either been discharged…

March 15, 2023