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substance abuse in canada: stats, impact and resources for adults and teens
12 minute read
since drug abuse amongst young teens and adults is so prevalent in the country, making resources available has never been more critical.
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substance abuse disorder, otherwise known as substance use disorder or addiction, affects millions of people in the country every single day. both adults and adolescents can develop substance use disorder, with the most affected age group being those between the ages of 15 and 24.
according to the canadian mental health association (cmha), 21 per cent, or roughly six million people, will experience substance abuse disorder in their lifetime.
out of all illicit substances, the most cases of substance use disorder can be attributed to the overuse of alcohol, at 18 per cent. the prevalence of substance abuse, especially among young people, continues to grow in canada.
what is substance abuse?
substance abuse disorder is a mild to severe form of addiction that is complex and leads to problematic patterns and the use of illicit substances. it is classified as a mental health condition under the diagnostic and statistical manual of mental health disorders 5 (dsm-5). people who develop substance use disorder will experience:
- an overpowering desire to use illicit substances
- increased tolerance to the substances they choose to use
- withdrawal symptoms when the substance is no longer available
people who have substance use disorder often experience negative outcomes from the continued use and consequences of drug use, such as poor health, ruined relationships, and a lowered quality of life.
many drugs could be used that fall under the umbrella of illicit substances, including:
- alcohol
- cannabis
- hallucinogens
- hypnotics, sedatives, and anti-anxiety drugs (sleeping pills, benzodiazepines, barbiturates)
- inhalants, such as aerosol sprays, gasses, and paint thinners
- prescription and non-prescription opioid painkillers (codeine, oxycodone, heroin)
- prescription and non-prescription stimulants (adderall, cocaine, methamphetamine)
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while all these drugs can lead to addiction, it isn’t always that simple. several factors determine the risk of a specific substance causing addiction to develop, such as:
- the way the substance is taken, whether orally, injected, or through inhalation
- how quickly the drug crosses over the blood-brain barrier, triggering the reward centre in the brain
- how long it takes to feel the effects of the drug
- the chances of a drug inducing a level of tolerance or withdrawal symptoms
there are different forms of substance use disorder, each characterized by severity. typically, the more severe the addiction, the more likely people are to experience physical and psychological dependence on the drug, leading to it becoming a controlling factor in their lives.
when someone uses an illicit substance and develops substance use disorder, signs and symptoms will develop that further hinder their overall level of physical and psychological health. some signs and symptoms of substance abuse include:
- confusion
- loss of appetite or refusal to eat
- withdrawing from family or social relationships
- sudden changes in behaviour and mood
- engaging in risky behaviours such as sharing needles, unprotected sex, and driving while under the influence
- feeling hostile or being in denial when the topic of substance abuse is brought up
- not taking care of oneself physically
- engaging in secretive behaviour to hide drug use
- using substances while alone
- taking more of the drug or substance and for longer periods of time than before
- having an uncontrollable desire to use the substance even during periods of downtime
- trying to control drug use and not being able to
- spending more and more time trying to obtain illicit substances or spending more time using and recovering from use
- being unable to perform optimally at work, school, or home because of substance use
- failing to stop using the drug, even if it negatively affects relationships
- continuing to use the substance even when it’s causing or worsening physical and psychological health issues
- developing a tolerance to the drug that requires the user to need more to have the same effect
- experiencing withdrawal symptoms, such as sleep issues, changing moods, aches and pain, fatigue
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the progression pattern to substance use disorder starts with experimental or prescription use of illicit substances, to occasional use, to heavy use, and then addiction. while there is no direct cause of substance use disorder, factors play into its development, including:
- genetics or family history of substance use disorder
- how the substance alters brain chemistry
- mental health disorders
- access and exposure to illicit drugs
- adverse childhood experiences, such as abuse or other traumatic events
people with substance use disorder often need professional and medical intervention to help recover from the addiction, especially if it is severe in nature.
current substance abuse statistics in canada
people of all ages and backgrounds can develop substance use disorder. that said, the most likely are those between the ages of 15 and 24 and those identifying as male. between 2016 and 2017, 1 in 205 canadians were treated for substance use disorder, with 62 per cent being male.
the statistics surrounding substance use disorder can be broken down into several categories based on the type of substance.
alcohol
alcohol is the most common substance tied to substance use disorder in the country. roughly 19.1 per cent of canadians over the age of 12 are considered heavy drinkers, with 23.5 per cent of males and 14.8 per cent of females accounting for those numbers. the age group most affected by alcohol overuse are those between 18 and 34.
canadians under the age of 18 also misuse alcohol, with roughly 3.7 per cent of youth aged 12 to 17 classified as heavy drinkers in the country. these numbers were documented in 2015 and have remained relatively unchanged since.
alcohol addiction also comes with some dire consequences. roughly 249 per 100,000 hospitalizations are caused by alcohol, which is 13x higher than those caused by opioid use, and 22 per cent of substance-use-related deaths in 2014 were attributed to alcohol.
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a report released by stats canada found that alcohol-related deaths have continued to grow since 2014, especially during the pandemic. it was reported that 3,875 deaths driven by alcohol occurred in 2021. the majority of those deaths occurred in people under the age of 65. men are more likely than women to experience an alcohol-related death, but it still occurs in both sexes.
opioids
opioids are often given to people to relieve pain after injuries. they are typically prescribed for a set period of time, but they are highly addictive. because of that, people who take opioids for pain are at a higher risk of developing substance use disorder. research shows that approximately two per cent of people who receive an opioid prescription misuse them.
that said, opioids can also be obtained through illegal means, and roughly one-third of people who misuse opioids do so without ever having a prescription. statistics have also found that approximately 12 per cent of canadians over the age of 15 use opioids, with 9.7 per cent engaging in problematic use of the drug.
the number of people using opioids problematically varies significantly by age group. according to reports highlighting the problematic use of opioids in 2018, roughly 17,900 people between the ages of 15 and 19 engage in opioid abuse.
the number of adults between the ages of 20 and 49 who misuse opioids was 189,000, with those between 30 and 39 being the highest rates of use at 57,700 people. adults 50 and older are less likely to use opioids than other age groups. however, the number of older adults who misuse opioids is still high at 143,600.
between 2016 and 2023, there were 40,642 deaths directly related to opioid misuse in the country. those numbers continue to climb. when assessing opioid abuse based on deaths, it’s found that the age group most affected is those between 30 and 39, with roughly 74 per cent of those deaths occurring in males.
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the deaths that occurred due to opioids were primarily driven by the addition of fentanyl, a highly fatal substance. roughly 84 per cent of opioid deaths involve fentanyl.
the overall numbers of opioid-related deaths vary based on location. for example, ontario, british columbia, alberta, yukon and the northwest territories are all home to more males using and dying from opioids, but in nova scotia, newfoundland, new brunswick, manitoba, and saskatchewan, females account for more opioid-related deaths at a rate of 150 per cent more.
prescription drugs
stimulants are abused more than opioids, with 19 per cent of canadians who use them reporting problematic use. sedatives are the lowest on the list of prescription-based drugs, with only one per cent of people abusing them.
prescription drug misuse is also high in terms of substance abuse in canada, and roughly five per cent of canadians who use prescription-based drugs with psychoactive ingredients were found to display behaviours of addiction when taking the medications.
roughly 23 per cent of canadians 15 and older have been prescribed medications that have psychoactive properties. females are more likely to be prescribed psychoactive pharmaceuticals than males, at rates of 27 per cent and 19 per cent, respectively. the two most common, besides opioids, are sedatives and stimulants.
examples of stimulants include:
- adderall
- ritalin
- dexedrine
- vyvanse
examples of sedatives include:
- benzodiazepines
- alprazolam
- hypnotics (nonbenzodiazepine sleep medications)
in people who reported the use of stimulants in the last year, based on data from 2019, 37 per cent of the total number of people who were prescribed stimulants over the age of 15 were said to have engaged in problematic use of the substances. both genders were equal. the age group most affected by substance use disorder with prescription stimulants are adults between 20 and 24 years old, followed by those 15 to 19 and adults 25 or over.
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regarding sedatives, females are more likely to be prescribed these types of drugs at a rate of 14 per cent, whereas males sit at roughly 7 per cent—less than one per cent of canadians 15 or older abuse prescription sedatives.
stimulant-related deaths are not as prevalent as opioid-related deaths but still affect canadians of all ages who have substance use disorder. according to data, roughly 41 per 100,000 people lost their lives due to a stimulant overdose in 2020.
there is no data to show how many overdose deaths are caused by sedatives in the country. however, central nervous system depressants, not including alcohol and opioids, were estimated to be indirectly involved in roughly 509.1 deaths in 2017.
illicit drugs
canada has one of the highest levels of illicit drug use in the world. illegal drugs account for three per cent of substance abuse reports in the country. the drugs reported include cocaine, crack, ecstasy, speed, hallucinogens, and heroin. cocaine is the most-used illegal substance in the country, which changed when cannabis was legalized. before then, cannabis was in the top spot.
data has found that of all users who engage in illicit drug use, five per cent were found to experience harmful effects of the drug, driven by misuse. young adults between 20 to 24 were the most likely to experience harm because of drug use, at a rate of 14 per cent, with those aged 15-19 reporting harm because of drug use at a rate of six per cent. adults over the age of 25 were the lowest to experience harmful effects from illicit substance use at a rate of three per cent.
of all the stimulant-related deaths, illicit stimulants, such as cocaine, are thought to be the highest driver of premature death caused by substance use at a rate of 65 per cent, and methamphetamines follow closely behind at a rate of 55 per cent.
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cannabis
cannabis use is a highly prevalent form of substance use disorder in the country. roughly 4.7 per cent of cannabis users are unable to control their use, putting them into the category of having substance use disorder with cannabis. males between 18-24 are the most affected age group.
while cannabis is generally considered a “safer” drug alternative due to its low risk of overdose and death, there are still risks associated with substance use disorder and cannabis. according to research, roughly one-third of people who consume the drug experience an adverse health event, such as:
- panic attacks
- feeling faint or dizzy
- losing consciousness
- heart and blood pressure problems
- nausea and vomiting
the number of people seeking help for these issues has heightened since the legalization of cannabis in the country at a rate of five per cent.
impact of substance abuse on canadian society from a cost perspective
the overall cost of substance abuse in canada was a staggering $49 billion in 2020 alone. between 2007 and 2020, the overall cost per person with substance use disorder was $1,291 per year, with alcohol addiction being the most considerable cost burden. most illicit substances saw an overall increase in total cost per person in 2020 from 2007:
- stimulants: 71.8 per cent increase
- opioids: 66.4 per cent increase
- alcohol: 21.3 per cent increase
- cannabis: 5.2 per cent increase
in terms of healthcare, in 2020, per-person costs were $386 for a total of $13.4 billion. these costs include hospitalizations, day surgeries, emergency department visits, paramedic services, specialized treatment, physical time, and prescription drugs.
there are also loss of productivity costs associated with substance use disorder in the country. these are based on lost value of work and impaired job performance. the per-person loss of productivity cost was $589, for a total of $22.4 billion, a 16.2 per cent increase from 2007.
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criminal justice accounts for some of the cost of substance use disorder as well, sitting at roughly $10 billion in 2020. these costs were associated with various offences, including policing incidents, court charges, and correctional admission.
other costs, ranging from research and prevention to fire and motor vehicle damage, as well as social assistance and disability, contributed over $3.3 billion to the total cost of substance abuse disorder in the country in 2020.
social impact of substance abuse on mental health
the existence of a pre-existing mental health disorder increases the risk of developing substance use disorder two-fold, and 20 per cent of people with a mood disorder also have substance use disorder. people with schizophrenia are the most likely to develop a substance use disorder in those with pre-existing mood disorders at 50 per cent.
on the opposite side, people with substance use disorder are also more likely to develop a mood disorder at a rate of three times compared to the general population. roughly 15 per cent of people with substance use disorder also have a mood disorder. those aged 15-24 are the most likely to experience substance use disorder, a mental health disorder, or both.
men are more likely to develop substance use disorder, whereas females account for more cases of mood disorders in the country. that said, both disorders can affect males and females. those who fall into the lowest income group are as much as four times more likely to report poor mental health, putting them at a heightened risk of developing substance use disorder as well.
resources available for substance abuse in canada
there are many resources available in canada for those who have substance use disorder. resources include inpatient and outpatient programs to help people overcome their addiction so they can strive for an overall level of health that cannot be achieved while abusing certain substances. some of the best resources in canada include:
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these resources are often free and available for anyone struggling with substance use disorder. they’re designed to provide a safe space for people to seek out the help they need to fight back against their addiction.
since drug abuse amongst young teens and adults is so prevalent in the country, making resources available has never been more critical. spreading drug awareness and encouraging people to seek mental health support is also vital since many people who develop substance use disorder also have a mental health condition.
substance use disorder is highly prevalent and detrimental in the country. learning how to help those in need or finding the proper support for yourself is the first step in addressing the problem head-on.
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