About
The Community Drug Strategy is actively working to:
- Improve community health and address drug-related issues by increasing public awareness of substance use as a health issue by providing a range of services, including treatment and harm reduction, and encouraging a developmental asset building approach to prevention and community development.
- Increase community safety across Greater Sudbury by implementing evidence-informed, drug-related crime prevention initiatives.
- Encourage partnerships among municipal government, academia, legal, health and human services sectors, the private sector, and the community to share the responsibility for the development and implementation of substance-related strategies and responses.
- Ensure ongoing monitoring and evaluation of this strategy.
- Encourage all levels of government to act and take responsibility for their elements of the framework within their respective jurisdiction.
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Our vision
Substance use affects everyone. From the challenges of keeping medications away from children and teens; to alcohol use in teens and adults; to experimentation with substances and addictions, and accidental poisonings – substance use affects all of society.
The Community Drug Strategy envisions a community working together to improve the health, safety, and well-being of all individuals, families, neighbourhoods and communities in Greater Sudbury by creating a society increasingly free of the range of harms associated with substance use.
Guiding Principles
The following principles reflect the key values and beliefs that shape and direct the actions of the Community Drug Strategy for Greater Sudbury:
- Socially just: The equality, dignity, rights, and choices of individuals, families, neighbourhoods, and communities are respected.
- Acceptance: A person’s choice to use or not to use substances is accepted as fact.
- Diversity: The diversity of people is recognized and incorporated into our response to substance use issues.
- Equitable access: Universal access to appropriate, acceptable services, and resources across the city is promoted and ensured.
- Participation: People are involved in a meaningful way in the development, delivery, and evaluation of research and programs that are intended to serve them.
- Partnership: All levels of government, academia, legal and human services sectors, the private sector, and the community share the responsibility to develop and implement strategies and responses.
- Determinants of health and health equity: Strategies address the range of conditions that affect physical, emotional, psychological, and spiritual health, including safe environment, adequate income, education, appropriate shelter and housing, access to health care, safe and nutritious food, peace, equity, and social justice. Equity in health is promoted.
- Balance: Initiatives will be balanced to ensure investments are appropriate across the four strategies of prevention, harm reduction, treatment, and enforcement.
- Accountability and transparency: Clearly defined methods are in place for demonstrating accountability and transparency toward all stakeholders in relation to drug use.
- Building assets: Community and individual strengths are used to build capacity of the community.
Key Priorities
The nine key priorities of the Community Drug Strategy are as follows:
1) The city of Greater Sudbury implements actions to reduce harms associated with substance use.
2) Greater Sudbury is an inclusive city with accessible and appropriate services for its diverse population.
3) All people in Greater Sudbury have access to safe, appropriate and affordable shelter and housing.
4) All levels of government set public policy and determine spending priorities that support optimal health for all citizens.
5) All people in Greater Sudbury have optimal success and health.
6) People who use substances have optimal physical, social, emotional, mental, and spiritual health.
7) People with substance addictions can get well.
8) Community members are safe in their neighbourhoods.
9) Government, businesses, agencies, neighbourhoods, families, and all people work collaboratively and in partnership to build safe and supportive environments.
Download the full plan & executive summary
Download the Call to Action (Full Action Plan or Summary)
This item was last modified on January 25, 2023