Renewed Canadian Drugs and Substances Strategy (Horizontal initiative)
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General information
Name of horizontal initiative
Renewed Canadian Drugs and Substances Strategy (Horizontal initiative)
Lead department
Health Canada
Federal partner organizations
- Public Health Agency of Canada
- Public Safety Canada
- Royal Canadian Mounted Police
- Public Services and Procurement Canada
- Global Affairs Canada
Note: Other government departments (e.g., the Department of Justice, Indigenous Services Canada, etc.,) are supporting the Canadian Drugs and Substances Strategy. However, they are not captured in this Horizontal initiative, as they did not receive targeted funding to support the "Renewed Canadian Drugs and Substances Strategy".
Start Date of the horizontal initiative
April 1, 2017 (first reporting cycle from 2017-18 to 2022-23)
End Date of the horizontal initiative
March 31, 2028
Description of the horizontal initiative
The Canadian Drugs and Substances Strategy (CDSS) is the federal government's comprehensive response to substance-related harms, including the illegal drug crisis. The CDSS is an all-substances strategy, centered on promoting public health and protecting public safety. The strategy covers a broad range of legal and illegal substances, such as tobacco, cannabis, alcohol, and opioids. The goal of the CDSS is to improve the health and safety of all Canadians by minimizing the impact of substance use related harms for individuals, families, and communities. It is based on four interconnected foundational elements: prevention and education, substance use services and supports, evidence, and substance controls, such as law enforcement and regulation.
Following the Budget 2023 announcement, the CDSS was renewed and received $358.6M over 5 years (2023-24 to 2027-28) and $5.7M ongoing to Health Canada (HC), Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC), Public Safety (PS), the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), and Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC), Global Affairs Canada (GAC) is also considered a federal partner organization but did not receive new funding through the renewal of the CDSS. The renewed CDSS will focus on a full continuum of evidence-based health services and supports, from prevention to harm reduction to treatment and recovery. In addition, the renewed CDSS will continue to support efforts to address illegal production and trafficking, with a focus on organized crime, and surveillance and research activities to build the evidence base to support innovative solutions to address substance-related harms and deaths, including the illegal drug crisis.
The renewed CDSS has introduced the principle of equity, alongside the principles of compassion, collaboration, and comprehensiveness to help guide federal actions to address the illegal drug crisis and the complex factors that contribute to substance-related harms, including links with mental health, housing, economic insecurity, and chronic pain, among others.
In 2024-25, the Government of Canada introduced complementary federal actions to address the illegal drug crisisFootnote 1:
- Canada's Border Plan was released with a $1.3 billion investment to make our border stronger and advance Canada's fight against fentanyl and illegal drugs, including:
- $30.7 million to launch a Precursor Chemical Risk Management Unit, to strengthen Canada's ability to support law and border enforcement by providing better oversight into precursor chemicals and distribution channels, and enhancing monitoring and surveillance of illegal drug trends to enable timely law enforcement action;
- $48 million to establish the Canadian Drug Analysis Centre, to allow for more specialized analysis of synthetic drug samples such as methamphetamine and fentanyl and its analoguesFootnote 2. The analysis will help determine how and where these substances were manufactured to support law enforcement and public safety agencies to more strategically target actions to address the synthetic drug threat; and,
- Support to create three Regional Integrated Drug Enforcement Teams, regional hubs that bring federal, provincial and local law enforcement officers together to support and focus enforcement capacity, and intercept organized crime and illegal drugs faster.
- Additional measures to support Canada's Border Plan include the appointment of the Fentanyl Czar, who supports law enforcement agencies to engage with U.S. counterparts, and enhance operational collaboration and efficiency in detecting, disrupting, and dismantling the illegal fentanyl trade.
- The Emergency Treatment Fund (ETF) provides $150 million over 3 years beginning in 2024-25 for targeted contribution funding to municipalities and Indigenous communities, enabling them to respond quickly to urgent and critical needs related to the overdose crisis. Funding is addressing immediate needs, as defined by the communities, to bolster local capacity and provide access to culturally appropriate, trauma-informed and evidence-based programs and services. Additional information on ETF-funded projects can be found in the Substance Use and Addictions Program Transfer payment program supplementary information table.
Total federal funding allocated from 2017-18 to 2027-28 (dollars)
$1,131,640,121 (includes $772,980,012 for first reporting cycle from 2017-18 to 2022-23)
Strategic outcomes and funding
Planning highlights
The illegal drug crisis is one of the most serious public health threats in Canada's recent history with devastating impacts on individuals, friends and families, and communities across the country. This crisis is complex mainly because it intersects with other challenges such as housing instability, mental health issues, polysubstance use (the use of more than one drug or substance), and public safety. Canada continues to experience an unrelenting rate of overdose deaths and substance-use related harms, largely due to the dangerous illegal drug supply that is unpredictable and toxic. Between July 2024 and June 2025, at least 6,161 Canadians died of apparent opioid toxicity, averaging 17 deaths per day. Compared to the previous 12 months, this represents a 22% decrease in opioid toxicityFootnote 3. During this same period, at least 3,312 Canadians died of apparent stimulant toxicity, averaging 9 deaths per day, representing a 38% decrease from the previous 12 months. This brings the total to at least 53,308 deaths from January 2016 to June 2025 (as of December 2025). Given the complexity of the illegal drug crisis, many factors may be contributing to recent changes in opioid-related deaths, such as changes in the drug supply, expanded naloxone distribution, changes in consumption behaviours, and a decrease in the number of people at risk for overdose are most likely to be behind the recent decline in harms.
The risk for people who use drugs remains high due to the dangerous illegal drug supply, particularly fentanyl and its analogues, which make up the largest share of opioids analyzed by law enforcement. From January to June 2025, of all apparent opioid toxicity deaths, 57% involved fentanyl, 57% involved fentanyl analoguesFootnote 4 and 83% involved non-pharmaceutical opioids. In addition, 68% of these deaths also involved a stimulant, highlighting the impact of polysubstance use (for example, using opioids, cannabis, or alcohol in combination with another substance). Among the apparent stimulant toxicity deaths during the same period, 69% involved cocaine and 49% involved methamphetamines (data as of December 2025).
In 2026-27, the renewed CDSS will guide federal actions across four key areas: prevention; substance use services and supports including timely and accessible harm reduction, treatment and recovery services; vital data collection; as well as regulatory controls and law enforcement efforts to disrupt the flow of dangerous illegal drugs and precursor chemicals.
Specific key plans and activities across the four integrated action areas related to substance use are outlined below:
Prevention and education
The renewed CDSS will continue to support public education initiatives to increase awareness of substance-related harms, encourage help-seeking, reduce stigma, and empower communities to prevent, delay and reduce substance use and related harms among youth. Planned activities for 2026-27 include continuing the "Know More Opioids" youth awareness program, aimed at youth and young adults to inform them of the facts about opioids, ways to reduce risks and the harms of substance use, as well as the "Ease the Burden" public education campaign, which targets men in physically demanding jobs and seeks to reduce the stigma of asking for help.
In addition, the Youth Substance Use Prevention Program (YSUPP), a grants and contributions program led by PHAC and based on the Icelandic Prevention Model (IPM), will continue to help communities support young people. The goal of the program is to strengthen protective factors that keep youth healthy, resilient, and less likely to experience harms from substance use. The IPM looks at the bigger picture — the family, school, friends, and leisure activities that shape youth behaviour — and ensures communities stay involved at every step. In 2026–27, YSUPP projects will move from building capacity to full implementation. Communities will use local data to guide their prevention efforts, strengthen collaboration, and create lasting systems of support. This next phase focuses on moving planning to practice, showing measurable progress in building protective environments, reducing risks, and improving the conditions that help young people thrive.
Substance use services and supports
Though the delivery of substance use services and supports is primarily the responsibility of the provinces and territories, the Government of Canada continues to work with other levels of government, Indigenous partners, community led and not for-profit organizations to support access to a full range of integrated, evidence-based, and innovative substance use services and supports to meet the diverse needs of people through the renewed CDSS. This includes support for pilot projects funded by Health Canada's Substance Use and Addictions Program (SUAP) for prevention, harm reduction, treatment and recovery initiatives at the community, regional and national level. Through Budget 2023, the Government of Canada announced $144 million in new SUAP funding to put in place innovative projects that support substance use priority needs. SUAP launched a Call for Proposals in the Fall of 2023 (CFP2023) focusing on four priorities: 1) enhancing the role of People with Lived and Living Experience; 2) post treatment aftercare and community integration; 3) addressing alcohol use disorder, and; 4) adult tobacco cessation. SUAP received nearly 700 proposals through CFP2023 with a total ask of over $2 billion, and 75 new projects were selected for up to four years of available funding. These projects are now active and Health Canada is monitoring their progress. Two targeted projects on pain management were also funded to develop standardized guidance and address gaps in the field.
Harm reduction measures such as supervised consumption sites (SCS) and the administration of naloxone are key components of the Government of Canada's comprehensive public health strategy to reduce risks and keep people alive. SCS provide a safe, clean space for people to use their own drugs under supervision of trained staff and safely dispose of used equipment. These sites may offer a range of evidence-based harm reduction services, including drug checking, wound care, counselling, peer support, infectious disease testing, and referrals to other health and social services, including treatment for those who are ready. All levels of government play important roles in the successful establishment and operation of SCS. Provinces and territories are primarily responsible for the delivery of services. For its part, the Government of Canada considers, and where appropriate, grants exemptions for sites so they can operate legally under the federal drug laws. When properly designed, funded, and managed, SCS help prevent accidental overdoses, reduce the spread of infectious diseases such as HIV, reduce public drug use, and reduce the strain on emergency health services. Between January 2017 and May 2025, SCS in Canada reported close to 5.4 million visits, over 530,000 unique clients, prevented over 65,000 overdoses and made over 624,000 referrals to health and social supports.
In 2026-27, Health Canada will continue to administer the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA), and its regulations, including reviewing, and where appropriate, issuing exemptions, authorizations, licences, and permits. The department will continue to work towards modernizing and streamlining the management of applications for exemptions and authorizations through the development of a new digital case management system.
Evidence
Under the renewed CDSS, Health Canada and partners will continue to support accurate, timely, and reliable data and research, essential to policy development and decision making. They will continue building capacity to collect, analyze and disseminate disaggregated data promptly, and conduct research to support equity informed, evidence-based decision making to address the illegal drug crisis and substance-use related harms. The CDSS Data and Evidence Framework will continue to guide federal partners in the collection and dissemination of data and evidence.
In 2026-27, Health Canada and partners will continue to collect vital data on substance use and related harms including laboratory analysis results of suspected illegal substances seized by Canadian law enforcement agencies and public health partners. Expanding the collection of disaggregated data and the development of new targeted surveys and research to identify trends among the needs of Indigenous Peoples and underserved, marginalized, and racially diverse populations will support the development of programs and initiatives that better meet their needs. One example is the Canadian Substance Use Survey (CSUS), formerly known as the Canadian Alcohol and Drugs Survey (CADS). This survey was renamed following methodological changes to increase the sample size. These changes allow for more detailed reporting on the factors that may influence substance use, such as age and mental health, which are available through an interactive data tool published in December 2024Footnote 5. Other planned activities in 2026-27 include; public opinion research surveys on Canadians' opioid awareness, knowledge, and behaviours for public education; and national and targeted surveys, such as the Canadian Student Alcohol and Drugs Survey (CSADS), the People with Lived and Living Experience Survey targeting racialized youth, including Indigenous youth, and the Experiences with New Psychoactive Substances Survey.
To support sharing and exchange of knowledge, Health Canada and partners will continue to publish statistics and key indicator data collected from federally authorized SCS, on a quarterly basis; publish data and reports on illicit substances from the illegal market; and publish national survey results, such as CSADS 2025-26 and CSUS 2025. Additionally, the Canadian Drug and Substance Watch (CDSW), launched in November 2024, will be updated twice a year. The CDSW is a drug early warning system designed to highlight new and emerging substances on the illegal drug market and provides critical information to support early intervention and timely decision-making, making it a vital resource in our collective efforts to address substance-related challenges. It better informs government organizations, public health officials, law enforcement and border control agencies to develop public health responses in addressing the crisis. The National Wastewater Drug Surveillance (NWDS) dashboard was launched in November 2025 and will be updated on a quarterly basis. The NWDS dashboard is an interactive tool to explore the presence of drugs, their byproducts (metabolites), and related precursor chemicals based on the collection of samples from wastewater sites located across Canada.
In support of CDSS's surveillance priorities, PHAC deploys Public Health Officers (PHOs) in jurisdictions across Canada, in provincial/territorial Public Health settings and/or Chief Coroner/Chief Medical Examiner offices to support substance related harms and death investigations. Their mandate is to strengthen and expand surveillance capacity on substance-related harms across Canada, while considering regional differences. Support from PHOs ensures timely data is available for national quarterly reporting on overdoses and deaths involving opioids and stimulants. This data helps describe the scale of the illegal drug crisis and its impact on communities across the country.
Substance controls
The renewed CDSS guides federal efforts to control substances and precursor chemicals to ensure that they are available for authorized uses, such as clinical trials or medical uses, while also giving law enforcement and border control authorities the tools that they need to enforce the laws that keep people living in Canada safe and address the harms of the illegal drug trade. The renewed CDSS also supports law and border enforcement partners across the country to address the role of organized crime in the production, diversion and trafficking of dangerous illegal drugs, including synthetic drugs and their precursor chemicals by supporting major drug enforcement operations both domestically and internationally and the dismantling of clandestine drug labs.
Health Canada will continue to regulate access to controlled substances and precursor chemicals under the CDSA and its regulations to mitigate their public health and safety risks, including minimizing the risk that they will be diverted to the illegal market, while enabling access to them for authorized uses. This is done by administering the CDSA and its regulations, including determining the regulatory status of substances and precursors and conducting scientific assessments which support the implementation of controls on new and emerging substances and precursors of concern by adding them to the Schedules of the CDSA and its regulations, and through related compliance and enforcement activities. These are key elements of Health Canada's contributions under both the CDSS and the Canada Border Plan. The RCMP and PSPC will continue working with law enforcement partners to address illegal drug production and trafficking, disrupt their global flow, and keep communities safe. The Forensic Accounting Management Group in PSPC will continue providing dedicated forensic accounting services that target complex and sophisticated organized drug crime investigations.
In December 2025, Health Canada published the Controlled Substances Regulations which consolidate multiple regulations into one single regulation for all controlled substances. The Controlled Substances Regulations improve the alignment, clarity and consistency of regulatory requirements on activities with controlled substances and make it easier for regulated parties to comply with the regulations. The Controlled Substances Regulations come into force on October 1, 2026. In 2026-27, the Department will continue its regulatory modernization efforts and plans to consult with stakeholders on ways to further modernize additional elements of the regulations to keep up with the way health care services are delivered in Canada.
To support rapid response to suspected overdoses and monitor drug trafficking trends, PS will launch an overdose mapping application, called the Overdose Monitoring Application Program (ODMAP) Canada. Based on the successful ODMAP platform in the United States, ODMAP Canada will provide near real-time monitoring of suspected overdoses in participating communities and issue "spike alerts" to platform users when there is a sudden increase in reported overdoses. PS is piloting ODMAP Canada in up to three jurisdictions from 2026 to 2028.
To encourage the disruption of criminal activity, the RCMP will improve the flow of information to, and among partners, on the involvement of organized crime in the illicit drug trade. To better close intelligence gaps relating to illicit drug importation networks, the RCMP will work towards identifying new sources of information, leveraging analytical methods, including social network analysis and other innovative qualitative and quantitative approaches. These analytical methods will help identify the most important illicit drug importation and manufacturing networks for enforcement action. To support this, in 2026-27 the RCMP will continue to develop better tools to improve how illegal drug activity is tracked and analyzed. Where enforcement action has failed or is not feasible due to resource demands, the RCMP will continue to promote alternative forms of non-enforcement disruption. Additionally, the RCMP Criminal Intelligence Service Canada will work with a senior executive assigned from a partner agency to strengthen intelligence sharing. This role will help bring partner insights and resources into the Fusion Centre, closing gaps on how information is shared. This will support the RCMP in producing monthly intelligence reports from the Fusion Centre to support enforcement and strategic decision-making to develop new ways to measure disruption, with monthly reporting to track progress and impact.
To reduce the impact of controlled drugs on Canadians' health, and on justice and police resources, the RCMP will focus on disrupting the supply of controlled drugs to Canada by supporting USA-based task forces in high intensity drug trafficking areas. In 2026-27, the RCMP will continue to strengthen partnerships with U.S. agencies to build local teams focused on stopping drug flow from Mexico. These teams will work to disrupt criminal networks targeting Canada and prevent drugs from reaching our border. Additionally, the RCMP will explore ways to adapt a successful drug enforcement initiative from Los Angeles to other U.S. states. This initiative enables the RCMP to work closely with U.S. law enforcement partners at the federal, state, and local levels to disrupt illegal drug shipments with the potential to reach the Canadian market and related criminal activities. In addition, in 2026-27, work will continue with RCMP Regions and domestic and international law enforcement partners to promote information sharing and effectively plan enforcement action against organized criminal activities facilitating the importation, exportation and production of illicit substances. This work will support international efforts to share intelligence and build stronger partnerships to stop drug trafficking overseas. Through engagement efforts and educational initiatives, such as the Chemical Diversion Conference, the RCMP will work to increase stakeholder reporting and support in the interdiction of synthetic drugs and chemical precursors. To support domestic enforcement actions, the RCMP will improve training for police officers to help increase illegal substance seizures and invest in specialized equipment to safely and efficiently dismantle hidden drug labs. In 2026-27, RCMP analysts in Miami, Florida; Dallas, Texas; and Los Angeles, California will continue to advance investigations by preparing and sharing analytical intelligence products with domestic and international partners. This will improve the flow of information with our international partners and promote effective collaboration against cross-border organized crime involved in illicit drug importation networks.
GAC is committed to collaborating, sharing, and advancing accurate information about Canada's drug legislation and policies and delivering capacity building programming to address the production and flow of illegal drugs and substances to and through Canada from source destinations. Health Canada, PS, and other CDSS partners will continue to work closely with key international partners, including the United States, to coordinate a global approach to address the public health and public safety risks of synthetic drugs though the Canada-United States Joint Action Plan on Opioids, the North American Drug Dialogue, the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission (known by its Spanish acronym "CICAD") and the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs.
As always, Health Canada continues to work with federal partners on progress towards the shared CDSS goal to reduce overall rates of substance use related harms and overdose deaths in Canada. This report describes the planned activities of actions to be taken through the CDSS in 2026-27 in the following HI Framework and the shared outcomes and financial tables.
Contact Information
Health Canada
Controlled Substances and Cannabis Branch
Canadian Drug and Substances Strategy
cdss-scdas@hc-sc.gc.ca
Planning information
| Name of horizontal initiative | Total federal funding from 2023–24 to 2027–28 (dollars) | 2026–27 Planned spending (dollars)Footnote b | Horizontal initiative shared outcome | Performance indicators | Targets | Date to achieve target |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Renewed Canadian Drugs and Substances Strategy | Allocated from 2023-24 to 2027-28 (dollars)footnote a 358,660,109 Planned spending since last renewal (as of March 31, 2026) 198,396,043 Actual spending since last renewal (as of March 31, 2025) 112,531,489 |
80,894,706Footnote g |
Reduction in overall rates of substance-related harms among people living in Canada |
Rate of deaths attributable to substance use per 100 000 population |
10.0 accidental apparent opioid toxicity deaths per 100,000 populationFootnote c 6.0 apparent stimulant toxicity deaths per 100,000 populationFootnote c |
March 31, 2028 |
Rate of hospitalizations attributed to substance use per 100,000 populationFootnote d |
All substances (except cannabis): 416 hospitalizations attributed to substance use per 100,000Footnote e 16.0 apparent opioid-related hospitalizations per 100,000 7.0 apparent stimulant-related poisoning hospitalizations per 100,000Footnote f |
March 31, 2028 |
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| Name of theme | Theme A: Targeted actions to address overdose crisis |
Theme B: Investing in community actions to address the overdose crisis and substance-related harms |
Theme C: Building evidence-based capacity to support equitable policy and programming decisions |
Theme D: Enforcement activities to support a public health approach to substance use |
Internal Services |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Theme outcomesFootnote a | People living in Canada have modified behaviours to reduce substance-related harms Legislation, regulations, and government activities support authorized uses of the controlled substances and precursor chemicals while disrupting illegal activities People and communities in Canada have increased capacity, knowledge, skills, and resources regarding substance use and related harms Improved equitable access to services and supports to reduce substance-related harms |
People living in Canada have modified behaviours to reduce substance-related harms People and communities in Canada have increased capacity, knowledge, skills, and resources regarding substance use and related harms Improved equitable access to services and supports to reduce substance-related harms |
Population-specific research, data and intelligence on substance-related harms and the illegal drug market are available to support evidence-based decision-making |
Legislation, regulations, and government activities support authorized uses of the controlled substances and precursor chemicals while disrupting illegal activities Population-specific research, data and intelligence on substance-related harms and the illegal drug market are available to support evidence-based decision-making Enhanced supports for enforcement and regulatory activities related to controlled substances and precursor chemicals |
N/A |
| 1. Health Canada | $68,732,682 | $144,000,000 | $16,857,223 | $27,739,093 | $12,727,914 |
| 2. Public Health Agency of Canada | N/A | $19,123,115 | $14,403,661 | N/A | $2,670,224 |
| 3. Public SafetyFootnote b | N/A | N/A | N/A | $4,433,669 | $161,169 |
| 4. Royal Canadian Mounted Police | N/A | N/A | N/A | $39,062,958 | $2,923,023 |
| 5. Public Services and Procurement Canada | N/A | N/A | N/A | $5,271,705 | $553,673 |
| 6. Global Affairs Canada | N/A | N/A | N/A | $0 | $0 |
| Total | $68,732,682 | $163,123,115 | $31,260,884 | $76,507,425 | $19,036,003 |
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Theme horizontal initiative activities
| ThemeFootnote a | Total federal funding allocated from 2023–24 to 2027–28 (dollars) | 2026–27 total federal planned spending (dollars) |
|---|---|---|
| Theme A | 68,732,682 | 12,668,827 |
| Theme B | 163,123,115 | 41,583,491 |
| Theme C | 31,260,884 | 4,966,896 |
| Theme D | 76,507,425 | 17,692,618 |
| Total, all themes | 339,624,106 | 76,911,832Footnote b |
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| Name of theme | Theme outcomes | Theme performance indicators | Theme targets | Date to achieve theme target |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Targeted actions to address overdose crisis |
People living in Canada have modified their behaviours to reduce substance-related harms |
Percentage of Canadians who consumed at least two substances at the same time in the 12 months prior to reportingFootnote a |
10%Footnote b |
March 31, 2027 |
Percent of youth (Grade 7-12) living in Canada who used opioidsFootnote c or stimulantsFootnote d in the last 12 months and/or alcohol in the last 30 days |
Opioids: 2.5% Stimulants: under 3% Alcohol: under 19%Footnote e |
March 31, 2028 |
||
Legislation, regulations, and government activities support authorized uses of the controlled substances and precursor chemicals while disrupting illegal activities |
Percent of authorizations processed for controlled substances and precursor chemicals within service standards by type of authorization |
80% |
March 31, 2027 |
|
People and communities in Canada have increased capacity, knowledge, skills, and resources regarding substance use and related harms |
Percentage of people living in Canada who have stigmatizing views towards and about people who use substances |
Less than 20% of people living in Canada have stigmatizing views |
March 31, 2028 |
|
Percent of people living in Canada aware of the risks associated with substance use |
92% |
March 31, 2027 |
||
Improved equitable access to services and supports to reduce substance-related harms |
Percent of Canadians who had support navigating substance use services |
41% |
March 31, 2027 |
|
Average number of visits to supervised consumption sites (SCS) per year |
17,400 visits per siteFootnote f |
March 31, 2027 |
||
Average number of drug checks at applicable SCS |
1,100 drug checks per siteFootnote f |
March 31, 2027 |
||
|
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| Name of theme | Theme outcomes | Theme performance indicators | Theme targets | Date to achieve theme target |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Investing in community actions to address the overdose crisis and substance-related harms |
People living in Canada have modified behaviours to reduce substance-related harms |
Percentage of Canadians who consumed at least two substances at the same time in the 12 months prior to reportingFootnote a |
10%Footnote b |
March 31, 2027 |
Percent of youth (Grade 7-12) living in Canada who used opioidsFootnote c or stimulantsFootnote d in the last 12 months, and/or alcohol in the last 30 days |
Opioids: 2.5% Stimulants: under 3% Alcohol: under 19%Footnote e |
March 31, 2028 |
||
People and communities in Canada have increased capacity, knowledge, skills, and resources regarding substance use and related harms |
Percent of program participants reporting increase in knowledge and/or skills related to prevention of substance use harms |
A Call for Proposals (CFP) was conducted by PHAC in 2023-24. Projects were selected and funds were awarded in 2024-25. Targets will be identified by March 31, 2026 following first year results. |
March 31, 2028 |
|
Improved equitable access to services and supports to reduce substance-related harms |
Percent change in the number of clients accessing services funded by SUAP that aim to reduce substance use harms |
10% |
March 31, 2028 |
|
|
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| Name of theme | Theme outcomes | Theme performance indicators | Theme targets | Date to achieve theme target |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Building evidence-based capacity to support equitable policy and programming decisions |
Population-specific research, data and intelligence on substance-related harms and the illegal drug market are available to support evidence-based decision-making |
Percent of data requests received by the Drug Analysis Service answered within 5 working days or negotiated date. |
100% |
March 31, 2027 |
Proportion of jurisdictions with Public Health Officers in place that are reporting data in time for scheduled quarterly releases. |
100% |
March 31, 2027 |
||
Number of drug notifications issued on newly identified potent illegal drugs |
Demand driven |
March 31, 2027 |
||
Percentage of Drug Analysis Services' law enforcement and public health partners who report receiving useful data and intelligence on the illegal drug market |
80% |
March 31, 2028 |
||
Percent of surveys that can report on equity variables beyond age and sex/gender |
50% of surveys can report on equity variables beyond age and sex |
March 31, 2027 |
||
Percent of planned evidence products completed within planned timeframe per fiscal year |
80% |
March 31, 2027 |
| Name of theme | Theme outcomes | Theme performance indicators | Theme targets | Date to achieve theme target |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Enforcement activities to support a public health approach to substance use |
Legislation, regulations, and government activities support authorized uses of the controlled substances and precursor chemicals while disrupting illegal activities. |
Percentage of licensed dealers inspected that are deemed to be compliant with the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act and its regulations |
80%Footnote a |
March 31, 2027 |
Increase in the number of drug-related charges laid by the RCMP and percentage of charges laid by Federal Policing (breakdown of charges by type: possession, trafficking, import/export, production) (FP)Footnote b |
5% increase over the length of the CDSS |
March 31, 2028 |
||
Increase in the number of illegal substance interdictions supported by the National Drug Coordination Team for domestic and international enforcement operations including a focus on clandestine laboratories, synthetic drugs, including opioids, new psychoactive substances and novel substances, which when, mixed increase the toxicity (FP) |
March 31, 2028 |
|||
Increase in the volume of illegal drugs with a nexus to Canada disrupted in coordination with the RCMP's International Network of Liaison Officers and Analysts Deployed Overseas |
15% increase |
March 31, 2028 |
||
Population-specific research, data and intelligence on substance-related harms and the illegal drug market are available to support evidence-based decision-making |
Percentage of law enforcement partner recipients who deem overdose mapping application knowledge products (e.g. reports, infographics) on the illegal drug market to be useful |
75% of respondents deem the information useful; at least three knowledge products, based on at least one knowledge product per year, will be produced, commencing in FY 2026-27 |
March 31, 2028 |
|
Number of briefings that support law enforcement and/or disruption actions (CISC) |
40 |
March 31, 2027 |
||
Number of illegal-drug related intelligence products / initiatives shared internally and/or externally with partners (FP) |
20 |
March 31, 2027 |
||
Number and percentage of drug-related Serious and Organized Crime occurrences with a transnational nexus (FP) |
Demand driven |
N/A |
||
Enhanced supports for enforcement and regulatory activities related to controlled substances and precursor chemicals |
Number of seized exhibits received from law enforcement agencies for laboratory analysis |
Demand driven |
March 31, 2027 |
|
Percent of pharmacy stakeholders indicating increased compliance awareness of regulatory requirements following compliance promotion |
75% |
March 31, 2027 |
||
Total number of Drug projects ongoing (open files) |
Demand driven based on number of cases and requests received by law enforcement partners |
N/A |
||
Number of reports released |
Demand driven based on number of cases and requests received by law enforcement partners |
N/A |
||
Total hours spent working on Drug investigations |
Demand driven based on number of cases and requests received by law enforcement partners |
N/A |
||
Number of illegal drug seizures in selected beneficiary countries made possible through GAC capacity-building funding |
Demand driven |
March 31, 2027 |
||
Volume of illegal drugs seized in selected beneficiary countries made possible through GAC capacity-building funding |
Demand driven |
March 31, 2027 |
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Evaluations
Fiscal year of planned completion of next evaluation:
2027-2028 Office of Audit and Evaluation, Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada
Legacy Data
Date of last renewal of Horizontal initiative
September 2023
Total federal funding allocated at the last renewal and source of funding (dollars)
$358,660,109 Budget 2023 (second reporting cycle 2023-24 to 2027-28)
Additional federal funding received after last renewal (dollars)
Not applicable
Planned spending from 2017-18 to March 31, 2026 (dollars)
$979,285,662 (includes $780,889,619 for first reporting cycle from 2017-18 to 2022-23)
Actual spending from 2017-18 to March 31, 2025 (dollars)
$1,069,804,397 (includes $957,272,908 for first reporting cycle from 2017-18 to 2022-23)
Footnotes
- Footnote 1
-
Complimentary federal activities and investments for Canada's Border Plan and the Emergency Treatment Fund (2024) are not captured in the renewed CDSS Horizontal Initiative.
- Footnote 2
-
An analogue is a substance that has a substantially similar chemical structure to a substance controlled under the CDSA.
- Footnote 3
-
Data is as of December 2025. 2025 data will be updated in March 2026 during the next quarterly update of the Opioid- and Stimulant- harms dashboard as more reports are completed and submitted to HC.
- Footnote 4
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Deaths involving fentanyl analogues may be included in the fentanyl percentages for some jurisdictions.
- Footnote 5
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Due to these changes, comparing CSUS results to CADS 2019 or previous iterations is not recommended. CSUS 2023 results are stand-alone (data collected was conducted from May to December 2023).