Statement from the Minister of Health on the Re-Airing of the Preventing Drug Abuse Media Campaign

OTTAWA – Following the success of the first wave of the Preventing Drug Abuse media campaign in fall 2014, I am pleased to announce that we are re-launching the campaign today, as part of our continued efforts to raise awareness and help parents talk with their teenagers about the dangers of prescription drug abuse and smoking marijuana.

The misuse and abuse of prescription drugs can lead to addiction, overdose and death. In 2012-13, more than 80,000 Canadian kids admitted to using prescription drugs to get high.

Marijuana is the most widely used illegal drug among Canadian youth, who are especially vulnerable to the health effects of marijuana use. Smoking marijuana damages teens’ developing brains and is harmful to a person’s overall health.

The Preventing Drug Abuse Media Campaign is part of the larger National Anti-Drug Strategy (NADS), launched in 2007 as the Government’s approach to illicit drugs in Canada. The Health Portfolio invests approximately $130 million a year to address addictions and drug abuse in Canada. These funds contribute to developing tangible and effective solutions to the problems of drug addiction. In 2014, the government committed over $44 million over five years to expand the focus of the National Anti-Drug Strategy from illicit drugs to include measures to address prescription drug abuse.

The second wave of the campaign will run until August 9, 2015, appearing on both television and internet platforms. The ads illustrate the harmful effects of prescription drug abuse and marijuana use on the developing brains and bodies of teenagers.

Our Government will continue to raise awareness about the harmful effects of drug abuse and encourage youth to choose a drug-free lifestyle.

More information is available at Canada.ca/drugprevention