Youth

Learn about factors influencing substance use in young people, including childhood trauma and brain development, and get tools to support adult allies in leading meaningful, evidence-informed conversations with youth. Content promotes early prevention, harm reduction and supportive environments for youth up to age 25.

Group of diverse youth sitting together.

Select a category:

Adverse Childhood Experiences

Early childhood experiences (ACEs) shape our minds and play a large role in how we interact with the world. ACEs can increase the risk of physical and mental illness later in life, including substance use disorders.

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Educators

Educators want factual information about alcohol and other drugs. CCSA creates evidence-based resources for youth allies, such as educators, to help students make informed decisions about substance use health.

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Youth and Emerging Adults

CCSA conducts research, shares knowledge and provides materials to support evidence-based decisions and actions for addressing youth and substance use.

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Get to know our team of experts

Aisha Giwa, PhD

Knowledge Broker

Area of Expertise:

  • Cannabis
  • Impaired Driving
  • Mental Health
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Jill Harnum

Policy Analyst

Area of Expertise:

  • Alcohol
  • Lived and Living Experience
  • Policy
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Miguel Andres Hernandez-Basurto, MPH

Senior Knowledge Broker

Area of Expertise:

  • Harm Reduction
  • Stigma
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Katarina Kane, MSc

Research and Policy Analyst

Area of Expertise:

  • Alcohol
  • Cannabis
  • Substance Use Epidemiology
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Christina Katan, MPH

Knowledge Broker

Area of Expertise:

  • Opioids
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Pam Kent, PhD

Director, Research and Emerging Trends

Area of Expertise:

  • 2SLGBTQ+
  • Cannabis
  • Mental Health
  • Substance Use Costs
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Samantha King, PhD

Research and Policy Analyst

Area of Expertise:

  • Alcohol
  • Mental Health
  • Opioids
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Christine Levesque, PhD

Research and Policy Analyst

Area of Expertise:

  • Alcohol
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Raadiya Malam

Research and Policy Analyst

Area of Expertise:

  • Cannabis
  • Drug Supply
  • Substance Use Costs
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Browse the CCSA Network of Websites

CCSA's Issues of Substance Conference

This biannual, national conference brings together people from across the country, including addiction workers, healthcare professionals, researchers, policy makers, and people with lived and living experience
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Canadian Substance Use Costs and Harms

This project provides comparable and up-to-date data on the costs and harms of substance use in Canada and allows people to explore and analyze the data through its data visualization tool.
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Workforce Competencies

CCSA developed measurable technical and behaviour competencies in knowledge, skills and values for the substance use workforce, providing consistent care across the wide range of settings.
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Drink Less Live More

Canada has new guidance on alcohol and your health. CCSA wants you to be able to make the most informed decisions you can about drinking alcohol.
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Lower Risk Gambling Guidelines

Learn about the world’s first Lower-Risk Gambling Guidelines to help people in Canada make informed decisions about their gambling and lessen their risk of gambling-related harms. Use the Interactive Risk Assessment Tool to assess your personal gambling choices.
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The Highway Home

This interactive website takes an experiential approach to increasing youth’s and young drivers’ awareness of the risks and harms of drug-impaired driving, using real-life scenarios involving cannabis use and driving.
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