Canada's Drug Strategy (CDS)
Canada's Drug Strategy (CDS) is a comprehensive initiative aimed at addressing the challenges associated with substance abuse and the illicit drug trade. Established in 1987, CDS operates on a foundation of four key pillars: education and prevention, treatment and rehabilitation, harm reduction, and enforcement and control. This strategy was developed through collaboration among federal, provincial, and territorial governments, as well as community organizations and law enforcement agencies. Over the years, the strategy has evolved, transitioning to the National Anti-Drug Strategy (NADS) in 2007, which placed greater emphasis on enforcement but faced criticism for its approach and effectiveness.
In 2016, the Canadian government reintroduced the four pillars under the Canadian Drugs and Substances Strategy (CDSS), which seeks to balance law enforcement with harm reduction and mental health considerations. The CDSS aims to create supportive environments for individuals with substance use disorders, recognizing the importance of addressing underlying factors such as mental health and social conditions. Recent initiatives have included legislative changes to facilitate life-saving services like supervised consumption sites and drug checking services. With a renewed budget of $359.2 million, the CDSS continues to adapt and respond to the evolving landscape of drug use and public health in Canada.
Canada's Drug Strategy (CDS)
ALSO KNOWN AS: National Anti-Drug Strategy; Canadian Drugs and Substances Strategy
DEFINITION: In the late 1980s, the federal government of Canada developed and funded an initiative to address the harmful effects of substance abuse and the supply and demand of illicit drugs. It became known as the Canada Drug Strategy (CDS), with principles based on four pillars: education and prevention, treatment and rehabilitation, harm reduction, and enforcement and control. In 2007, CDS evolved into the more enforcement-focused National Anti-Drug Strategy, but in 2016 the four pillars were readopted under the Canadian Drugs and Substances Strategy (CDSS).
DATE: Established 1987
Background
The National Drug Strategy in Canada was launched by the Canadian government in 1987 as a five-year program with a $210-million budget (Canadian dollars). After five years, in 1992, this program was merged with the National Strategy to Reduce Impaired Driving, thus creating the initiative Canada’s Drug Strategy (CDS). An additional $270-million was allocated to reduce the harmful effects of substance abuse on individuals, families, and communities and to reduce the supply and demand of addictive substances. The strategy focused on balancing drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction.
CDS was developed as a collaborative effort between federal, provincial, and territorial governments, and law enforcement, community groups, addiction agencies, and the private sector. Consultation between government and non-government organizations determined seven important components that would need to be applied to create an effective framework for the strategy. The seven components were research and knowledge development; knowledge dissemination; prevention programming; treatment and rehabilitation; legislation, enforcement, and control; national coordination; and international cooperation.
Health Canada provided national coordination and leadership for CDS and was required to report to Parliament and the Canadian public every two years about the direction, advancement, and developments of the program. The CDS provided policymakers and researchers with valuable information, raising the level of understanding about the prevalence and effects of substance abuse in Canada.
In 2001, reports emerged that were highly critical of the CDS and its policies, use of funding, and effectiveness. It appeared that there were no measurable outcomes to report and that the total impact of the program was uncertain. This unflattering feedback prompted Canada’s prime minister at the time, Stephen Harper, to announce the new National Anti-Drug Strategy (NADS) in October 2007. CDS was transitioned to NADS in 2008.
The NADS received its own share of criticism, especially from those in favor of evidence-based policies. In late 2016, the Canadian government announced that it would be replaced by a new program, the Canadian Drugs and Substances Strategy (CDSS). In April 2017, CDSS officially succeeded NADS.
Mission and Goals
In addition to the four pillars—education and prevention, treatment and rehabilitation, harm reduction, and enforcement and control efforts—the CDS acknowledged that for interventions to be effective for individuals, several factors had to be recognized. These factors were gender, age and culture; involvement and buy-in of target groups; attention to the needs of drug users; and the underlying causes associated with substance abuse. In practice, the CDS focused most of its resources on law enforcement.
Between 1992 and 1998, the focus of CDS was on school-based drug-prevention programs, although reports from the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse indicated that illicit drug use among youth increased during this time. When the CDS was renewed in 1998, its primary objective was to reduce the harm associated with alcohol and substance abuse to families and communities.
The NADS continued to operate on three principle goals: preventing illicit drug use and prescription drug abuse, treating persons with illicit drug dependencies, and combating the production and distribution of illicit drugs. It did away with harm reduction as a central strategic pillar, focusing even more than the CDS on enforcement efforts. It included policies such as youth education on fear-based principles and mandatory minimum sentencing. When NADS was replaced by the CDSS, harm reduction was formally reintroduced as part of Canada's federal drug strategy.
Beyond educational and communal programs, CDSS sought to make legislative changes that would impact organizations providing life-saving services, such as the Supervised Consumption Sites, Urgent Public Health Need Sites, and Drug Checking Services. The Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA) was written to create a new authorization process with public health and public safety regulatory requirements.
CDSS has also worked to address mental health issues that often coincide with substance abuse tendencies. According to CDSS, 20 percent of Canadians with substance use disorders also have a coinciding mental health disorder. The 2023 renewed initiatives of the CDSS included recognizing and addressing underlying risk and protective factors, which include mental health issues and pain management. The budget for the renewal was $359.2 million.
Bibliography
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