Ottawa – We are accelerating Canada’s work to detect, disrupt, and dismantle the fentanyl trade. Illegal drugs are having a devastating impact on people and communities, including creating 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 disrupt the global drug threat and is taking concrete action to keep communities safe on both sides of the border.
Ya’ara Saks, Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health, announced consultations on the implementation of additional controls for three precursor chemicals that can be used in the production of illegal drugs.
Most precursors used in the illegal production of drugs are already controlled through various mechanisms to mitigate the diversion of these chemicals to organized crime. To give law enforcement more tools to help disrupt the production and supply of illegal drugs, we plan to quickly add additional controls on these chemicals. Additionally, Health Canada is proposing to control the drug carisoprodol, a sedative not currently marketed in Canada.
Health Canada is aware that these substances may have legitimate and important commercial, industrial, research or analytical uses in Canada and is asking for input from all potentially impacted parties. This consultation will open for public comment in the Canada Gazette, Part I on February 14, and close on February 24, 2025. The Government of Canada intends to emergency schedule by March 1, 2025.
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 will accelerate the regulatory process for banning precursors, enabling border and law enforcement to act rapidly to prevent their illegal importation and use.
“Fentanyl is a threat to our communities and public safety. The changes proposed today will strengthen Canada’s existing strict controls on substances linked to the illegal drug market and provide additional tools to law and border enforcement as they work to detect and disrupt the illegal drug trade. This is another important step in addressing the overdose crisis and keeping communities safe.” – Ya’ara Saks, Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health
“We are using every tool in the fight against fentanyl and illegal drugs. Strengthening our law enforcement agencies to go after the production and distribution of trafficking fentanyl will protect our communities, keep Canadians safe, and stop drugs from crossing over our border.”- David McGuinty, Minister of Public Safety