Illegal Drugs

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The high profitability of the illegal drug trade, and the market for highly toxic synthetic drugs in particular, is a key driver of substance-related harms in Canada. It also fuels organized crime and perpetuates illicit financing, and gives rise to gun and gang violence, which harms our communities and quality of life.

Public Safety Canada supports efforts to address the import, production and distribution of illegal drugs and the precursor chemicals used to make them through policy development, information sharing and coordination. The Department works with many partners on issues related to illegal drugs in Canada:

Drug Stigma Awareness Training Module

The Drug Stigma Awareness Training Module for law enforcement is offered for a modest fee. This course provides tools and reference material to support police interactions with people who use substances. It supports efforts to reduce the stigma faced by people who use drugs that may prevent them from accessing the health and social services they need.

Drug-Impaired Driving

Drugs, including cannabis, can impair driving abilities and increase the risk of getting into a car accident. In fact, impaired driving is the leading cause of criminal deaths and injuries in Canada. You have options: plan ahead and get home safe.

Illegal Cannabis

Choosing illegal cannabis means exposing yourself to potential health, safety, legal and financial consequences. Profits from illegal cannabis sales support criminal activities that harm our communities. Adults who meet the legal age requirement set by their province or territory and choose to consume cannabis can protect themselves and their community by learning how to differentiate between legal and illegal products.

Canadian Drugs and Substances Strategy

The Canadian Drugs and Substances Strategy (CDSS) is Canada's policy on controlled substances. The strategy is focused on four integrated action areas:

Public Safety Canada and Portfolio partners primarily support the substance controls objectives of the CDSS by working to address organized crime involvement in the import, production and distribution of illegal drugs and the precursor chemicals used to make them and by supporting first response.

The Controlled Drugs and Substances Act

As of 2017, devices that can be used to manufacture illegal drugs, such as pill presses and pill encapsulators, must be registered with Health Canada to be imported into Canada. This makes it harder for organized crime group to obtain devices to mass-produce counterfeit pills that often include fentanyl.

The Customs Act

Additionally, Canada's border officers can open international mail of any weight, should they have reasonable grounds to suspect the item may contain prohibited, controlled or regulated goods. This helps border officers stop highly potent fentanyl and its analogues from entering Canada, even in small quantities via letter mail.

The Good Samaritan Drug Overdose Act

The Good Samaritan Drug Overdose Act encourages people who witness or experience an overdose to call for emergency help, by providing some legal protection against charges for simple possession of a controlled substance and breaching conditions of:

Anyone who is at the scene when help arrives is also protected.

Crime Prevention

Investments in community-based crime prevention initiatives help to protect public safety by targeting drug-related crime, youth gangs and gun violence.

The National Crime Prevention Strategy (NCPS) provides funding for community-based crime prevention projects. In addition, practical knowledge development and information sharing helps Canadian communities target those most at risk:

The Building Safer Communities Fund (BSCF) provides funding to municipalities and Indigenous communities to support gang-prevention and intervention programs for gang members and at-risk children and youth. The amount of BSCF support for a community is based on crime severity and population density.

International Cooperation

Canada works with its international partners to align efforts to address each link of the illegal drug supply chain, in addition to considering all available options to reduce demand, improve health outcomes and save lives.

The primary frameworks of cooperation are:

Canada-U.S. Joint Action Plan On Opioids

The Canada-U.S. Joint Action Plan on Opioids (OAP) is designed to strengthen cross-border cooperation and find effective approaches to addressing the opioid overdose crisis. Established in 2020, the OAP sees Canada and the United States collaborate across three working groups covering law enforcement, border security, and health.

North American Drug Dialogue

The North American Drug Dialogue (NADD) is the primary mechanism through which Canada, Mexico and the United States coordinate their response to the continent's illegal drug threats. It was formed during the North American Leaders' Summit 2016. The NADD partners collaborate to understand and address: the supply chain of illegal synthetic drugs; drug trafficking modes and methods; illicit finance; and public health approaches to substance use.

North American Trilateral Fentanyl Committee

Led by high-level representatives from Canada, Mexico and the United States, the Committee guides priority actions to address the illegal fentanyl threat facing North America. It was created during the North American Leaders' Summit 2023.

Global Coalition to Address Synthetic Drug Threats

The Coalition brings together like-minded countries to strengthen the coordinated global response to the international public health and safety challenges posed by illegal synthetic drugs at the national and international levels, in accordance with applicable international law, including the International Drug Control Conventions.

Other forums

Canada participates in a number of other multilateral forums to address illegal drugs, including the Organization of American States' Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission (CICAD), G7 Experts' Group on Transnational Organized Crime and Terrorism (the Roma- Lyon Group), and the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs.

Resources

Illegal Drugs News Releases

More Illegal Drugs News Releases

Illegal Drugs Publications and Reports

More Illegal Drugs Publications and Reports

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