The Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse changes lives by bringing people and knowledge together to reduce the harm of alcohol and other drugs on society.
For more than 25 years, we have provided guidance and advice on addictions and substance use to public, private and non-governmental organizations.
Our Vision is that all people in Canada live in a healthy society free of alcohol- and other drug-related harm.
Our Mission is to provide national leadership and advance solutions to address alcohol- and other drug-related harm.
Together with our partners, we are working to improve the health and safety of Canadians. We will achieve this goal by nurturing a knowledge exchange environment where research guides policy and evidence-informed actions enhance effectiveness in the field.
Canada’s Guidance on Alcohol and Health provides evidence-based advice on alcohol to support people in making informed decisions about their health. The guidance is based on the latest research on alcohol-related risks and replaces Canada’s Low-Risk Alcohol Drinking Guidelines.
The Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction is happy to announce that our Issues of Substance conference will return in 2023 as an in-person event during CCSA’s 35th anniversary.
The Canadian Community Epidemiology Network on Drug Use (CCENDU) is a pan-Canadian network of community partners co-ordinated by the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction (CCSA). The network has sites in British Columbia, Manitoba, Thunder Bay, Toronto, Quebec, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland and Labrador.
Historically, substance use and mental health systems and services have operated independently. Yet many people who access substance use services also have mental health disorders. Improving client care means ensuring people can easily access and navigate services that meet their needs, whether in substance use, mental health or both. Disconnected systems and services, in contrast, can create barriers and close doors to those seeking help.
Canada’s Low-Risk Alcohol Drinking Guidelines were originally published by CCSA in November 2011 and were the result of the work of alcohol research experts in Canada.
This report presents the latest clinical evidence on how cannabis use during pregnancy and breastfeeding can affect a developing fetus and infant.
The Essentials of.... is a series developed by the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction (CCSA) that offers evidence-based guidance and practical information to enhance practice in the substance use field.
To investigate how alcohol container labels can be used to build public awareness, the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction commissioned Enhanced Alcohol Container Labels: A Systematic Review and developed a summary of the report’s highlights. These findings will be useful for public health stakeholders, researchers and policy makers considering the evidence on alcohol container labels.
Key findings include:
People’s attitudes and behaviours about cannabis have shifted since it was legalized in 2018. The Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction (CCSA) has funded research to examine these changes.