CSUCH’s data visualisation tool can be used to estimate substance use trends across the country. The data helps inform programs, practices, and research to protect communities, save lives, and improve the well-being of people in Canada.

Spotlight: Top 3 causes of death due to substance use in Canada 

More than 200 people died each day due to substance use (SU) in 2020 (the latest year for which data are available). That works out to 73,994 deaths that year. The average age of death due to SU was 45 years. Tobacco use caused 63% (46,366) of SU-related deaths, followed by alcohol at 23%...

Addiction and obesity share similar neurological pathways, both linked to compulsive behaviors and the brain's reward system. Research has highlighted the potential of GLP-1 receptor agonists, originally developed for diabetes, to help manage both appetite and addictive cravings. These medications, such as semaglutide, may regulate addictive behaviors by influencing reward circuits in the brain. However, they come with potential side effects, and their long-term effects are still under investigation.

In addition, a new compound, 5-Methoxy-2-aminoindane (MEAI), is being researched for its...

Few studies have looked into how cannabis use during pregnancy affects the development of disruptive behavioral disorders (DBDs) in children, often using small sample sizes and self-reported data. This study aimed to understand the link between maternal cannabis use disorder (CUD) during pregnancy and after childbirth, and the risk of DBDs in children. We used health data from New South Wales, Australia, for children born between 2003 and 2005. We compared children whose mothers had CUD to those whose mothers did not, and assessed the risk of DBDs in these children. Both CUD and DBDs were...

The National Survey of Substance Use and Mental Health Services (N-SUMHSS) is a voluntary, annual survey that collects data from all active substance use and mental health treatment facilities across the United States, its territories, and Washington D.C. The annual report provides valuable insights into key operational characteristics of these treatment facilities, including the use of pharmacotherapies, availability of language assistance services, and the provision of suicide prevention assistance. This comprehensive survey helps to inform policymakers, researchers, and service providers on...

A study was conducted to examine how patterns of alcohol and cannabis use are associated with bystander intervention in situations involving the risk of sexual and relationship violence among college students. Researchers aimed to explore whether students' substance use influenced their awareness of risky situations (referred to as bystander opportunities) and their likelihood of taking action (bystander behaviors). Two key hypotheses guided this investigation: the first being that the frequency of bystander opportunities would vary depending on the students’ patterns of alcohol and cannabis...

The Cannabis, Mental Health, and Substance Use Health: Research Knowledge Exchange Event Summary Report presents the findings and themes discussed at an event jointly hosted by CCSA (Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction) and the Mental Health Commission of Canada. With funding from Health Canada, the two organizations supported approximately 70 research teams in exploring the potential benefits, harms, and risks of cannabis on substance use health and mental health. The event provided a platform for these research teams to share their project results, observations, and experiences...

SAMHSA report discusses the evidence supporting the effectiveness of screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment (SBIRT) as a comprehensive approach, as well as for the implementation and effectiveness of the individual components of SBIRT for different behavioural health conditions.

The report describes briefly the underlying research that has been conducted in the prevention and early intervention of risky alcohol, substance abuse and tobacco consumption, as well as commonly reported mental health problems, and describes existing studies/models for specific populations and...

The ASSIST package, which consists of a brief questionnaire, a guide for health professionals on how to use the questionnaire in detecting and responding to substance use and also a self-help manual for cutting down or stopping substance use, is the result of more than 10-years work by WHO and an international group of researchers in the framework of the WHO ASSIST project. It is WHO’s response to the growing demand for guidance on how to best manage problems of substance use in non specialist health care settings. This approach, quick and easy to learn, useful for all substances including...