Canadian Addiction Treatment Resources

Drug and Alcohol Resources in Canada

• Government of Canada: Substance Use Resources
• Wellness Together Canada
• Canadian Center on Substance Use and Addiction
• ConnexOntario: Addiction, Mental Health, and Problem Gambling Treatment Services
• The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH)
• FAR Canada – Families for Addiction Recovery

Alcohol Use in Canada

According to the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction (CCSA), 78 percent of the population aged 15 or older reported past-year alcohol use in 2017. This costs the country significantly, especially in lost productivity and healthcare costs. 

From 2007 to 2014, alcohol cost Canada $14.6 billion in lost productivity, healthcare costs, criminal justice, business and industry, research and prevention, damage to property and motor vehicles, and workplace costs.

Alcohol Use in Canada Statistics

• Alcohol is the most common drug used by Canadians
• Young adults (18-24) consume the most alcohol. They also have the highest rate of “risky use of alcohol” 
• In 2017 to 2018, the rate of hospitalizations due to alcohol (249 per day per 100,000) was higher than that of hospitalizations for heart attacks (243 per 100,000)
• In 2014, alcohol contributed to 14,826 deaths in Canada

Alcohol Treatment in Canada

Canada provides both publicly funded and privately funded alcohol treatment centres. The cost and quality of treatment centres can vary greatly depending on several factors. If you attend a public centre, the government will cover all or most of the costs associated with your treatment. Private treatment centres may take private insurance.

The CCSA has created a free publication titled Finding Quality Addiction Care in Canada: Drug and Alcohol Treatment Guide. It provides information about different treatment options, prepares individuals to speak with healthcare providers, includes important questions to ask providers, and educates individuals on the available services in Canada.

Drug Use in Canada

According to the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction (CCSA), substance use cost Canadians a total of $46 billion in 2017. Alcohol, tobacco, opioids, and cocaine were the most costly drugs used by Canadian citizens.

Illicit drug use is an ongoing problem in Canada. Hospitalizations due to heroin, fentanyl, and other opioids have been increasing in recent years. Many healthcare professionals are calling this an opioid crisis, similar to what the United States is experiencing.

Drug Use in Canada Statistics 

• In the last 12 months, 12.7% of Canadians (about 3.7 million) reported using opioid pain relievers
• Hospitalizations due to opioid poisoning are increasing, with an average of 17 hospitalizations per day in Canada in 2017.
• In 2017, opioid pain relievers were used by approximately 11.8% of the Canadian population
• Between 2016 and 2017 in Ontario, the rate of Emergency Department visits for opioid poisoning doubled in younger adults aged 25-44
• The rate of past year cocaine use in older youth (ages 20-24) is increasing

Drug Treatment in Canada

Canada provides both publicly funded and privately funded drug treatment centres. The methodology, treatment quality, and associated costs will vary considerably depending on the treatment center you enroll in.

The CCSA has created a free publication titled Finding Quality Addiction Care in Canada: Drug and Alcohol Treatment Guide that provides information about different treatment options, prepares individuals to speak with healthcare providers, includes important questions to ask providers, and educates individuals on the available services in Canada.