Drug Advisory Committee

Mandate:

To promote safer and healthier communities through proactive leadership by addressing and influencing prevention, enforcement and treatment of substance abuse.

Significant Accomplishments 2016/2017:

• hosted the Managing the Fentanyl Crisis conference, attended by over 170 delegates to examine the complexities of the opioid crisis and the tools required to help disrupt current overdose trends.
•  engaged in consultation regarding the upcoming cannabis legalization. Advocated for the combining of recreational and medical cannabis regulations in an effort to disrupt diversion of cannabis into the black and gray markets. 
• Members appeared before the Senate Committee on April 6th, 2017 to respond to sections of Bill C37, an Act to amend the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act.  The Bill includes changes to the Supervised Consumption Site application process, now allows CBSA to search packages weighing less than 30 grams that are suspected of containing contraband, requires imported pill presses and encapsulators to be registered, and includes legislative changes to permit the expedited destruction of seized drugs.    The Bill received Royal Assent in May 2017
• Provided input on the Good Samaritan Drug Overdose Act (GSDOA) which provides some legal protection to people who experience or witness an overdose and call 9-1-1 for help.  and it provides protection (under certain conditions) under Section 4 of the CDSA. The DAC also distributed an information bulletin to assist police agencies and frontline officers in understanding the new legislation and changes to the CDSA
• Produced and disseminated information bulletins on behalf of the CACP to educate and inform CACP members.  Bulletins contained sample policies and training materials for agencies which are equipping their members with naloxone.  The committee is pleased to see early adoption of naloxone by several law enforcement agencies across the country, and its provision to their frontline members.

Initiatives Planned 2017/2018:

• Address policing concerns outlined in the “Guiding Principles Regarding the Recommendations of the Task Force on Cannabis Legalization and Regulations” discussion paper.  Continue   cannabis legalization advocacy, engagement at a national level to ensure public safety matters are addressed in the new legislation, advocacy for education and public safety, on behalf of CACP, to engage the media with consistent messaging, and continue work with the Government of Canada on Bill C-45 (Cannabis Act) and C-46 (Changes on Impaired Driving Laws
• Continue to work with internal and external partners to develop public messaging around the dangers of drug impaired driving, and advocate for Drug Recognition Expert (DRE) training in Canada.  Advocate for federal funding for approved roadside drug screening device training and equipment, and for additional DREs, and support and work with the CACP Traffic Committee to provide guidance to the Government of Canada as it moves forward with its drugged driving safety initiatives.
• With regard to opioids, advocate for equipping police officers and civilian staff with naloxone, and develop training and educational material accessible on the CACP DAC and Research Foundation websites.
• Continue to work with the Law Amendments Committee in support of an amendment to the  Canada Post Corporation Act.
• Continue to support Drug Free Kids Canada’s innovative messaging campaign, “The Call That Comes After” (http://thecallthatcomesafter.com/), developed to deter youth from consuming marijuana and driving.  Members continue to work on the Drug Free Kids Canada Advisory Board.