Message from Minister Nicholson for Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse Issues of Substance Conference Edmonton , Alberta, November 25-28, 2007

I am very pleased to extend greetings on behalf of the Government of Canada to the delegates to the second “Issues of Substance” conference.

Your conference program reflects the remarkably complex nature of the problems associated with substance abuse, and you bring a range of perspectives to bear on these problems. Although I will not be able to join you in person, I would like you to know that I appreciate your commitment to finding solutions through this conference, as well as the invaluable practical work you do from day to day.

The theme of this year’s conference, “Shaping the Future,” truly goes to the heart of the matter. Canadians want their children and grandchildren to be able to grow up in safe and healthy communities. But many are seriously concerned about the risks posed by illicit drugs, especially for young people, as well as the crime and social damage that so often follow in their wake. They want to see concrete action to combat these problems.

Canada’s New Government is very concerned about the damage and pain drugs cause families and we take this issue very seriously. This is why in Budget 2007, we invested $63.8 million dollars above the existing funding for the next two years towards a National Anti-Drug Strategy in order to prevent illicit drug use, treat illicit drug dependency and combat illicit drug production and distribution.

Together, these three action plans will form a focused and balanced approach to reducing the supply of, and demand for illicit drugs, as well as addressing the crime associated with them. Our National Anti-Drug Strategy will also place particular emphasis on educating, especially youth and their parents, about the negative effects of illicit drugs.

As you know very well, these are complicated issues that call for sophisticated and innovative solutions. The National Anti-Drug Strategy is a collaborative effort involving the Department of Justice, Health Canada, Public Safety Canada and other federal departments, and we will be working at every stage with key partners, including provinces, territories and municipal governments, community groups and non-governmental organizations.

Once again, I wish you an informative and inspiring conference. I look forward to continuing to work together to shape a future that will see a safer and healthier Canada.

The Honourable Rob Nicholson
Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada

For more information on the Issues of Substance Conference, please visit:
www.issuesofsubstance.ca/Eng/Pages/Home.aspx