CCENDU was established in response to a 1995 feasibility study that identified the need for a Canada-wide surveillance system on substance use. Spearheaded by the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse (CCSA) and guided by a steering committee, CCENDU is a collaborative project involving federal, provincial, and community agencies, with intersecting interests in drug use, health and legal consequences of use, treatment, and law enforcement. Its strategic vision is "A partnership to monitor emerging drug trends and associated factors".

The primary goal of CCENDU is to coordinate and facilitate the collection, organization, and dissemination of qualitative and quantitative information on drug use among the Canadian population at the local level. Further, CCENDU aims to foster networking among key multi-sectoral partners, to improve the quality of data being gathered, and to serve as an early warning system concerning emerging trends. Ultimately, CCENDU strives to support and encourage sound policy and program development related to drug use.

Each local site collects, collates, and interprets data and information in eight major drug use areas (alcohol, cocaine, cannabis, heroin, sedative-hypnotics and tranquilizers, hallucinogens other than cannabis, stimulants other than cocaine, and licit drugs) and in six indicator areas (prevalence, law enforcement, treatment, morbidity, mortality, and HIV/AIDS/HEP C, which includes injection drug use and needle exchange information) to produce local reports. National reports have been produced as a compilation of local data, with special focus given to current, high-priority issues.