Health Canada issues recall of popular ‘Dubai' chocolate bar brand linked to salmonella outbreak
Canada's public health agency has issued the recall of the popular chocolate brand after an outbreak of salmonella linked pistachio-containing products.
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CBC
12 minutes ago
- CBC
Regina couple's app teaches mindfulness to break the cycle of addiction
It began with moments of personal reflection. Adam Geiger had been battling a gambling addiction since he was a teenager. "I think it started innocently enough, with things like video games and whatnot," Geiger said. "Looking back, I remember myself being very anxious, always really trapped in my mind thinking of what other people thought of me." After decades of struggle, mindfulness and meditation helped him shift gears, allowing him to explore not just his behaviour, but the thoughts beneath it. "Looking at the nature of thought and what was going on, sort of beneath the surface level stuff," he said. In 2024, he and his partner Chelsea Galloway two decided to build a digital tool to support others facing similar struggles. "I think Adam and I both had this opportunity at the time to really be able to put ourselves into something that mattered to us personally," Galloway said. A year and a half later, their vision became reality with the launch of AlchemistOne, a mindfulness-focused recovery app designed to support people dealing with addictions. A shared mission born from experience Geiger's journey to AlchemistOne began decades ago, when an innocent love of video games and sports grew to compulsive gambling. "I made my first sports bet when I was 13 or 14," he said. "All those thoughts went away and it was very easy for me to escape into gambling." Temporary relief came with long-term consequences. Geiger said he spent more 20 years locked in a cycle of gambling addiction. Once he finally broke that cycle, the app seemed like a perfect opportunity to help others do the same. Galloway, the company's COO, brought both personal insight and business expertise to the project. "Addiction was just something that was really present in our lives," she said. "Adam had a really strong tech background. I had a pretty strong business background. So we came together to build the company." The pair spent months designing what would become AlchemistOne. What started as a two-person initiative now includes six full-time team members and a growing community of close to 6,000 downloads worldwide. A 3-pillar approach Geiger said that at its core, AlchemistOne is built around three key pillars of recovery: Mindfulness and meditation. Active reflection. Physical movement. Users can access a library of audio content, including guided meditations, podcast-style interviews and personal stories from people around the world who are in recovery. Geiger acknowledged an irony in people using the same phone or tablet that accessed gambling sites, social media or other addictive content as a tool for recovery. Instead of turning to a casino app or a harmful distraction, users can open AlchemistOne and engage in a quick mindfulness session. "I think often our phones and our computers are the things that we use to escape into and keeps us a lot of trouble," he said. "We definitely wanted to build that daily companion that lived in that same space that you maybe had some trouble before." Since the launch in April 2025, the response has been swift and steady the pair says. "It's really exciting that we see new members every five or 10 minutes jumping into the app and signing up," Galloway said. For both founders, the real win isn't downloads, it's impact. "We're getting that feedback from people who are saying, you know, this is resonating with me," Galloway said. "It's complicated, it's complex. And if we can just bring something to the table that helps people get through their day and potentially helps long lasting recovery, that's really the end goal."
CTV News
2 hours ago
- CTV News
What's the best way to treat a poison ivy rash?
Poison ivy, along with poison oak and poison sumac, has an oily coating called urushiol, which often causes redness, swelling, and severe itching within four to 48 hours after contact with your skin. Eventually, a rash, often with fluid-filled blisters, can emerge in a line or in streaks. If you think you've touched a poisonous plant, scrub your skin with soap and water—ideally within 20 minutes of contact—to help remove the oil and help prevent a rash. (Not everyone develops a rash, but don't wait to find out.) Be sure to wash the clothes you were wearing, too. Residual plant oils can linger on many surfaces until they're washed, and they could cause a reaction if you touch them. If a rash appears, try an oatmeal bath, cool compresses, calamine lotion, or an over-the-counter hydrocortisone cream to relieve the itch. Scratching the affected skin won't spread the rash, but try not to; it can lead to further irritation or infection. The rash typically lasts two to three weeks. If home treatments aren't helping, ask your doctor about the possibility of a prescription-strength topical steroid cream. To help avoid a brush with urushiol in the future, learn what these plants look like. Poison ivy and poison oak are vines or bushes with leaves grouped in threes. They may have yellow or green flowers and white, yellowish-green, or amber berries. Poison sumac is a woody shrub with leaves grouped in sets of seven to 13 and arranged in pairs. It may have pale-yellow or cream-coloured berries. Urushiol can also hitchhike on gardening tools and gloves, clothing, shoes—even your pet's fur—and then be transmitted to you by touch. So regularly wash these with soapy water or wipe nonwashable items with rubbing alcohol.
CBC
2 hours ago
- CBC
Concerns raised as N.S. non-profit supplying low-cost medications scales back service
A non-profit organization in Halifax supplying low-cost medication and mail-out prescriptions in Nova Scotia is cutting programs due to overwhelming demand and financial pressure. Starting in September, the Metropolitan Dispensary will no longer accept referrals from outside the central region and will stop mailing medication altogether. Nicholas Humphreys, a client of the dispensary, said he receives a monthly prescription in the mail. He said it was unsettling to learn the program was ending. "Its accessibility is important for all Nova Scotians, especially [for] people with disabilities or lower-income folks who need that service," he said. In a letter sent to Humphreys last month, the organization's board said they "do not have either the financial, physical, or staff capacity to meet the need for less expensive medication services arising throughout the province." The dispensary said the cuts are happening despite their "best efforts." Humphreys, 43, requires supplemental oxygen. He has experienced a number of lung issues, including two collapsed lungs due to COVID-19 that landed him in hospital. He lives in the Halifax area but said he felt safer having his prescriptions mailed to him rather than going in person because of his health issues. "I could come in contact with other people that may have respiratory issues," he said. "So, having that option to have it delivered cut down on me being out in public around other people." Extra cost He said the service is also essential for when he is too ill to leave his house. He says he will now have to pay for a taxi or call an access-a-bus to pick up his prescriptions. The notice sent to Humphreys recommends sending a friend or family member to pick up medications if they can't do so themselves. Humphreys said he's concerned about limiting accessibility. "If you don't have anybody and you rely on that, to have them sent to you, I don't think it's fair." The Metropolitan Dispensary requires a referral from a social worker or 211 Nova Scotia in order to access cost-price medication and lower dispensing fees. Other pharmacies offer delivery services, but Humphreys said the low-cost option is what drew him, and likely others, to the dispensary's program. He said he hasn't found an equivalent. 'Unprecedented demand' The Metropolitan Dispensary did not immediately respond to the CBC's request for an interview, but said in an email it is seeing "unprecedented" demand for affordable medication. It would need up to $100,000 to continue the service, the email says. Certain programs are paid for by the province and will not be affected by the cuts, according to the dispensary. The non-profit fills up to 2,900 prescriptions a month and operates out of a space donated by the IWK. It is the only location in the province. [IMAGE ]According to the dispensary, 91 letters have been sent to patients across the province thus far. "With the increased need for more staff and higher wages needed to pay the staff … we simply do not have the physical, financial nor personnel resources to further expand our services," Judy Collin, the director of the dispensary's board, said in an email. Wider problem Lyn Stuart, a caregiver support co-ordinator for Caregivers Nova Scotia, works in Cape Breton supporting people who are looking after those in need of at-home support, including seniors. She said the pressure on health-care non-profits is a symptom of a larger failure. "We have a health-care system that's in crisis," said Stuart. "We really do see these non-profit organizations … doing a really wonderful job of filling those gaps. But non-profits are, honestly, underfunded and often very much stretched thin." She said delivery services are essential for those who cannot easily get to a pharmacy, but affordability is also a big concern. She said this is especially true of those living in rural areas because there are often fewer pharmacy options available and they take longer to access. "We hear that people ration their medications, they skip doses to save money. They share their medication with their spouses or their family members if they're on the same happened to be on the same blood pressure medication."
