About the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction
An act of Parliament with all-party support established the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction (CCSA) in 1988. As an organization, we are committed to learning about colonization, racism and injustices experienced by Indigenous people, and acting on reconciliation, accessibility, equity and inclusion.
CCSA prides itself on being an independent and trusted third-party expert on substance use and addiction. For 35 years, we have worked and built trust with a broad network of partners and governments across the political spectrum.
We have been working to partner more with people who have lived or living experience of substance use and their families and friends (LLEAFF). They are experts in the field of substance use health. Partnering with LLEAFF ensures that our research is relevant to them and that services designed for them meet their needs.
With all our partners, we continue to advance projects to improve wellness for people who are experiencing the harms of substance use. We achieve this goal through accessible, inclusive, quality services and supports, and by providing evidence-informed responses to reduce substance use harms.
Our work is always firmly rooted in evidence and sound methodology. It is also driven by compassion.
We are committed to fostering understanding and creating awareness of substance use health issues. That is what people in Canada expect of us. Our five-year strategic plan, Focused on the Future: Strategic Plan 2021–2026, guides us through three strategic goals and their accompanying priorities:
- Advancing knowledge by synthesizing research;
- Driving collaboration efforts across Canada; and
- Bridging the gap between what we know and what we do.
CCSA’s activities and products are made possible through a financial contribution from Health Canada. The views of CCSA do not necessarily represent the views of the Government of Canada.