About the Canadian Drug and Substance Watch
Canada faces a serious overdose crisis, driven by an illegal synthetic drug supply that's dangerous, unpredictable and increasingly toxic. There are now more dangerous substances in the drug supply than ever before, including new psychoactive substances.
Over the past decade, new psychoactive substances have become a global health risk. This is because they mimic the effects of illegal drugs and there is often little to no information about their health effects.
One of the ways we're addressing this crisis is through the Canadian Drug and Substance Watch (CDSW). CDSW is a drug early warning system that helps us monitor, predict, and respond to the rise of new and emerging psychoactive substances.
Drug early warning systems differ from traditional reporting of drug use. They allow us to track and analyze shifting patterns of drug use across multiple data sources. This is not a drug alert system which aims to prevent immediate harm by sharing information about the precise location and appearance of drugs.
CDSW highlights drugs as they appear on the illegal market. It aims to improve awareness on new, potentially harmful drugs and drug trends. This tool can help government organizations, public health officials, law enforcement and border control agencies better address the overdose crisis. CDSW also shows how new drugs are circulating and how the illegal drug supply differs across Canada.
By giving us a more complete picture of what's circulating in the illegal drug supply in Canada, CDSW helps guide our awareness, response, decision-making and research.
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