Evidence-based drug policies work.

Harm reduction policies, programs, and practices seek to uphold values of social justice and human rights by minimizing the harms associated with substance use. CSSDP supports full spectrum harm reduction – that is, harm reduction policies, programs and practices that incorporate all people who use drugs, all methods of drug use, and all sociopolitical and environmental contexts (YouthRise, 2024). We support evidence-based harm reduction programs including but not limited to supervised consumption sites, needle/syringe exchange and distribution, naloxone/narcan distribution and training, and drug checking. We believe that all people who use drugs, including young people, should have access to harm reduction programs in their communities. Youth-specific harm reduction approaches are needed throughout Canada.

Involuntary treatment involves mandating people who use drugs into treatment programs. Usually these treatment programs are bed-based and focus on abstinence. CSSDP denounces involuntary treatment and supports access to evidence-based voluntary treatment. Research suggests that people who are mandated to treatment return to substance use after treatment and are more likely to experience a drug poisoning event after release. This form of ‘care’ is grounded in carceral logic and perpetuates systemic racism and colonial violence. Involuntary treatment policies also undermine people who use drugs’ autonomy, dignity and fundamental rights to make decisions about their own health.

CSSDP is exclusively led by students and young people, many of whom use drugs. As an organization and community, CSSDP is committed to listening to and amplifying the voices of youth who use drugs, especially those who are marginalized and/or have been harmed by drug policies. We strive to ensure that their lived and living experiences are meaningfully included in important and necessary evidence-based interventions, responses, and actions against stigma, the toxic drug supply, and harmful and oppressive drug policy. 

As such, CSSDP encourages peer engagement, consultation, and advising on projects, services, and policies related to harm reduction and substance use. This includes mandatory consultation and advising by youth and individuals with lived or living experience of drug use. Additionally, we advocate for hiring youth and/or people with lived experience of drug use for relevant work in government, research, healthcare, harm reduction settings, and on boards of directors. As with all work, individuals should receive fair and equitable compensation for their time and expertise. 

View our policy stances on alternatives to criminalization, prevention, campus cannabis policies, and more.