January 30, 2025 | Ottawa, Ontario | Health Canada
The Government of Canada is concerned with the impact of fentanyl, and other illegal synthetic drugs on the overdose crisis and on public safety, including security challenges associated with their illegal production, importation, trafficking, and related crimes. Health Canada plays a critical role in supporting Canadian law and border enforcement in their activities to counter the global synthetic drug threat and is taking concrete action to keep communities safe on both sides of the border.
Today, the Honourable Ya'ara Saks, Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health, announced that we are expediting a consultation on proposed amendments to the Precursor Control Regulations (PCR) and Schedule IX of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA) in the Canada Gazette, Part I. This consultation will open for public comment on January 31, 2025, at 2:00 p.m. EST.
This consultation is linked to Canada's border plan that sets out a commitment from Health Canada to launch a new Precursor Chemical Risk Management Unit, to provide better insight into precursor chemicals, distribution channels and enhance monitoring and surveillance to enable timely law enforcement action. Canada's border plan is committed to accelerate the regulatory process for banning precursors, enabling border and law enforcement to take swift action to prevent their illegal importation and use.
Canada is a world leader in the control of chemicals used to produce synthetic drugs and has one of the most robust and modern regulatory regimes. These amendments will further strengthen our ability to take action by increasing oversight of precursor chemicals and tools used in illegal drug production. For example, making it mandatory for licensed and registered companies to report suspicious transactions to Health Canada. The amendments will be an important step in providing law and border enforcement and Health Canada with additional resources to respond to Canadian public health or public safety risks in a more agile and timely manner.
Our government will continue to support a full continuum of evidence-based actions and innovative strategies to stem the flow of illegal drugs in our country and at the border, including by strengthening law enforcement capacity to address illegal drug production and trafficking.
