CAMH welcomes the federal government's announcement of the new Canadian Drugs and Substances Strategy (CDSS). For much of the past decade Canada has approached substance use primarily as a criminal justice issue, but evidence shows that this approach causes health harms, exacerbates health inequities, and further stigmatizes people with substance use disorders. For these reasons CAMH has advocated for an updated drug strategy that is led by the Minister of Health, reinstates harm reduction as part of a four-pillar approach, and is guided by the best available evidence and a public health perspective. We are very pleased that this new strategy commits to exactly that. By shifting Canada’s approach to substance use to the public health sphere and bringing our drug policy in line with the evidence, we can improve the health of all Canadians.