Healthcare Impacts Related to Substance Use in Canada
Wednesday, June 17, 2026, 12-1 pm ET
Featuring:
- Dr. Anat Ziv, Lead CSUCH Researcher; Research and Policy Analyst
- Dr. Adam Sherk, CCSA Senior Scientist and Special Policy Advisor; adjunct associate professor, University of Victoria’s School of Public Health and Social Policy
Learn about the Canadian Substance Use Costs and Harms (CSUCH) study, an evidence-based project that publishes ongoing estimates of the economic burden and harms related to substance use. Explore the data on healthcare impacts and costs, and discover how it can help policymakers, healthcare system planners and public health professionals make more informed decisions to reduce harms and improve responses.
What is CSUCH?
CCSA and the University of Victoria’s Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research (CISUR) developed CSUCH to better understand the social and economic costs and harms associated with substance use in Canada. The figures detail the scope, which is essential for allocating resources effectively to meet the needs of Canadians.
Substance use is more than just a personal issue. It has wide social, economic and healthcare system impacts that are felt throughout communities across Canada. CSUCH data show the current situation and emerging trends, which allows policy makers and public health officials to develop and prioritize more effective responses to substance use concerns.
CSUCH includes reports with regularly updated estimates for costs in different sectors, including healthcare, criminal justice, lost productivity and other direct costs. The latest edition is Canadian Substance Use Costs and Harms (CSUCH) – Healthcare 2017-2024.
It also includes the Prevalence Chart, the only national resource that provides modelled estimates of substance use across Canadian provinces and territories by age, sex and year, spanning from 2008 to 2024.
Who can use this information?
- Policy makers, public health experts, researchers and others can use the data to:
- Effectively develop, allocate and advocate for prevention, treatment and harm reduction initiatives and resources
- Monitor trends across Canada and identify vulnerable populations
- Inform policy and program decision-making at the local, provincial/territorial and national levels
- Highlight knowledge gaps and opportunities to improve national data reporting systems
