Canadian Substance Use Costs and Harms 2007–2014

In 2014, the cost of substance use (SU) in Canada was $38.4 billion— or approximately $1,100 spent for every Canadian regardless of age. This report presents the estimates of the costs of SU in Canada from 2007 to 2014 using the most reliable, up-to-date data sources and methods according to the following categories:

• Cost type (healthcare costs, lost productivity costs, criminal justice costs and other direct costs);
• Substance; and
• Province and territory.

The ability to track costs and trends in harms uniquely caused by specific types of substance will be a valuable asset to federal, provincial and territorial efforts aimed at reducing these harms. A better understanding of the societal costs associated with different substances can help inform policy decision making and resource allocation for law enforcement, and prevention, treatment and harm reduction services.