Message from the Ministers
International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking - June 26, 2010

The International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking is a great opportunity to mark the progress Canada is making it its fight against illicit drugs.

In 2007, Canada launched its National Anti-Drug Strategy (NADS), which represents a focused approach to tackling illicit drug issues in Canada. The Strategy, through its three action plans, aims at preventing illicit drug use; treating those with illicit drug dependencies; and combating the production and distribution of illicit drugs in our communities.

The Prevention Action Plan provides information to those most affected by drug use, including parents, young people, educators, law enforcement authorities, and communities. The Treatment Action Plan supports innovative and effective approaches to treating individuals with illicit drug problems, who pose a risk to themselves and to the community. The Enforcement Action Plan bolsters law enforcement efforts to investigate and prosecute drug crimes. It increases law enforcement's capacity to combat marijuana grow-operations, synthetic-drug production and distribution operations.

Taking Action

The Government of Canada is working closely with other levels of government and non-governmental organizations to ensure that our Strategy helps to make Canada's communities safer and healthier.

In the past year, the Government of Canada took important measures under the National Anti-Drug Strategy. Canada launched the youth-targeted not4me awareness campaign. This multi-media campaign was designed to raise awareness about the harmful effects of illicit drug use and to help youth make healthy choices by choosing a drug-free lifestyle. It was the first national youth-oriented drug prevention mass media awareness campaign in Canada in over 20 years.

The Government also re-introduced legislation to provide mandatory minimum penalties for serious drug crimes and launched the Synthetic Drug Initiative; both measures aim at fighting the production and distribution of illicit drugs.

Moving Forward

The Government of Canada continues to work with domestic and international partners in addressing the world drug problem. In keeping with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime's global campaign message "Think health - not drugs", we will continue to emphasize to Canadians, and especially our youth, the importance of making healthy choices and reducing the impact of illicit drug use in our communities.

The Honourable Rob Nicholson, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada
The Honourable Vic Toews, Minister of Public Safety
The Honourable Leona Aglukkaq, Minister of Health