Canada’s first national resource for drug abuse prevention, CCSA’s Portfolio of Canadian Standards for Youth Substance Abuse Prevention is an essential guide for those participating in drug prevention activities for youth. It provides teams with step-by-step guidance—based on the best available evidence—on how to plan, implement and evaluate their prevention efforts with schools, communities and families.
Substance abuse among Canadian youth is a significant issue and can result in serious harm—including injury, overdose, car crashes and sexual assault. Prevention programs are often the first line of defence in preventing and reducing drug use among youth. When done well, they are the best investment we can make.
The Canadian Standards Portfolio is a single resource that meets prevention teams where they are—whether they are developing or implementing new or existing programs—to provide them with expert guidance and tools to strengthen the quality of their efforts.
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View the Canadian Standards Portfolio webcast, which includes presentations from prevention experts who helped lead the development of this resource, along with partners who are implementing this tool in their work. |
CCSA is currently working with national partners to support school staff, administrators, public health professionals, police officers, counsellors and parent groups to implement the Standards in their prevention and health promotion activities.
The Portfolio of Canadian Standards for Youth Substance Abuse Prevention is part of a CCSA-led A Drug Prevention Strategy for Canada's Youth , a five-year initiative that aims to reduce illegal drug use by Canadian youth aged 10–24. It involves stakeholders from across the country and is funded through the federal government’s National Anti-Drug Strategy.
Two other initiatives developed through the work of CCSA’s Strategy are Xperiment.ca, an innovative drug prevention website for youth. The site is designed as a virtual space where youth can participate anonymously in simulated experiments to see the effects of drug use without having to experience any of the negative physical or social consequences of actual use. It aims to provide Canadian youth with facts about drugs and their related harms―in an interactive and engaging manner―so that they are prepared to make informed choices. Research and youth themselves tell us that the most effective way to communicate prevention messages is to speak the truth and not preach.
Supporting Tools
To assist individuals and teams using the Canadian Standards Portfolio, a growing collection of practical tools and resources is housed in the
Database of Prevention Resources.