Greater Sudbury Community Drug Strategy Call to Action: 2026 Priorities
Call to Action
Since its inception, the Greater Sudbury Community Drug Strategy has grown to better meet the needs of the community. As the toxic drug crisis has become more complex, we have worked together to find creative and meaningful solutions that reflect the voices and experiences of the communities we serve. By valuing and incorporating the voices of people with past and current experience with substance use, Indigenous peoples and by building strong partnerships, we are developing a strategy that is inclusive, respectful, and effective. The Community Drug Strategy is a shared commitment to making our community safer, healthier, and more supportive for everyone.
This is a call to action for all of us—community members, people with past and current experience with substance use, caregivers and families, service providers, leaders, and organizations. Together, we can build a future where everyone has the support they need to live well and where services are fair, safe, and accessible. We encourage and are actively seeking collaboration with community partners and members. If you are interested in joining or learning more about the Community Drug Strategy or an advisory committee, please reach out anytime by filling out our online form.
2026 Priorities
The 2026 priorities of the Community Drug Strategy build on the foundation of previous years, including the outcomes and findings from the Greater Sudbury Summit on Toxic Drugs. The priorities reflect a commitment to address current community needs, respond to emerging trends, and identify service gaps. These priorities are informed by both evidence and the voices of community members, ensuring they remain relevant and grounded.
Improve coordinated care for all substance use needs
The Community Drug Strategy is committed to building a connected, equitable substance use care system where people can easily access the services and supports they need along the substance use spectrum. Services across the community work together to create clear, simple, and seamless care pathways, so people experience consistent support from first contact through ongoing care.
Our plan to accomplish this priority:
- Map substance use services and coordinated care pathways across the community to clearly show how people move between services. Use this map to identify gaps, overlaps, and opportunities to improve coordination and continuity of care.
- Create a shared, consistent process for referring people to care following a hospital stay, incarceration, or a poisoning event, with clear roles and responsibilities to ensure timely follow‑up and support at all stages of substance use care.
- Increase access to evidence based and culturally safe support services by expanding treatment and harm reduction programs and outreach, making it easier for people to get care and strengthening support in the community.
- Strengthen advocacy for expanded treatment pathways and timely access to treatment when people need it.
Reduce stigma and promote health for people of all ages
The Community Drug Strategy is working to reduce stigma in health and social services. We support Indigenous‑led and culturally safe care and include people with lived and living experience with substance use in decision‑making. We recognize that everyone’s life experiences are different and can affect their health and access to care. Our goal is a community where people of all ages feel respected, can stay healthy, and can get the support they need to prevent or delay substance use.
Our plan to accomplish this priority:
- Center the leadership of Indigenous people and people with lived and living experience so decisions reflect real community needs and priorities.
- Work with community partners across health care, justice, social services, and other sectors to identify and address stigma. Partners will complete a stigma assessment, review the results, and make concrete changes to policies and everyday practices that cause harm or discrimination.
- Apply evidence showing that stigma, poverty, racism, and lack of belonging increase substance use risk to drive changes that strengthen early support and prevention across the lifespan.
Strengthen basic needs services and support in housing
The Community Drug Strategy envisions a community where people can easily access housing and basic needs supports through clear, connected service pathways. Everyone in the community receives support in safe, welcoming environments with wrap-around services that promote dignity, autonomy, stability, and improved health outcomes.
Our plan to accomplish this priority:
- Create a detailed inventory of physical pathways and service connections, building on the current service gap analysis to identify clear, actionable gaps.
- Remove barriers that prevent people from meeting their basic needs, including barriers related to stigma, safety, hours of service, transportation, and eligibility requirements.
- Strengthen coordination between housing, health, and social services to improve referrals, reduce barriers, and ensure people receive timely, consistent support across systems.
How we work together
The Community Drug Strategy brings together agencies, topic area experts, community members, people with past and current experience with substance use, Indigenous communities, and members of equity-denied populations, including black, people of colour and 2SLGBTQIA+. This collaborative approach supports the development of a holistic, community-driven, and inclusive strategy to address and reduce substance-related harms in the community.
Community is at the center of the Community Drug Strategy. Community members are involved in every aspect of the strategy through advisory roles, membership, and leadership opportunities. The community shapes the strategy priorities and encourages accountability for the Community Drug Strategy. The Community Drug Strategy also links to other municipal, provincial, and national tables that promotes collaboration and information sharing.
Advisory committees
This year, the Community Drug Strategy is introducing two new advisory committees, the People with Lived and Living Experience Advisory Committee, and the Indigenous Advisory Committee, to help create a safer, more inclusive space for collaboration and meaningful input into the strategy. Accountability measures within the advisory structure ensure that feedback and expertise shared with the Steering and Executive Committees are respected and acted upon, not diluted. Policies and procedures will help guide safe, meaningful engagement, including clear guidelines for compensation.
Structure diagram
Below is a diagram of the structure for the Greater Sudbury Community Drug Strategy.
Measuring Progress
Report card
Each year, the Community Drug Strategy will report on progress through an annual report card, highlighting:
- achievements
- challenges
- areas for improvement
- progress toward priorities
This ensures transparency, accountability, responsiveness, and continuous improvement. These report cards will be released on the Community Drug Strategy website near the end of each year.
This item was last modified on May 12, 2026