Canada's Drug Strategy
The harmful use of legal substances, such as alcohol and prescription drugs, and illegal substances, such as marijuana, cocaine, heroin and ecstasy, have serious, negative consequences for all Canadians. Canada's Drug Strategy, which was renewed in May 2003, is the federal government's response in addressing the harmful use of substances. Its ultimate goal is to see Canadians living in a society increasingly free of the harms associated with substance use
Comprehensive Approach
The Strategy uses a comprehensive approach to deal with both the demand for, and supply of, drugs based on four key pillars:
- prevention - measures to prevent problematic use of alcohol, other drugs and substances through education to help people make informed, healthy choices;
- treatment - activities for those who have developed an unhealthy dependency on legal or illegal substances;
- enforcement - measures that halt the unlawful import, export, production, distribution and possession of controlled substances, and the seizure and forfeiture of assets gained through the drug trade; and
- harm reduction - measures to limit possible secondary effects of substance use, such as the spread of HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis C.
Areas of Activity
With the renewal of the Drug Strategy, the Government of Canada has reinforced the strong foundation provided by the four pillars, and broadened its commitment to the goal of the Drug Strategy by investing in four new areas of activity:
- leadership - to ensure coordination, consultation and accountability among the federal partners in the strategy and to reach out to other stakeholders as partnerships bring the best results;
- research and monitoring - to better understand substance abuse problems in Canada, and ensure effective decision-making;
- partnerships and intervention - to support community-based education and prevention initiatives to discourage and treat harmful substance use and to address marijuana grow operations and clandestine laboratories used to manufacture illegal substances; and,
- modernized legislation and policy - to ensure legislation and policy reflect the current views of Canadians.
The implementation of Canada's Drug Strategy by federal government departments and agencies
is facilitated through the co-ordination efforts of a Secretariat within Health Canada's Drug Strategy
and Controlled Substances Programme in this section.
Related Resources
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