Not using drugs or alcohol.

A chronic, relapsing disorder characterized by compulsive (or difficult to control) drug seeking and use despite harmful consequences, as well as long-lasting changes in the brain. In the past, people who used drugs were called “addicts.” Current appropriate terms are people who use drugs and drug users.

A stimulant drug that acts on the central nervous system (CNS). Amphetamines are medications prescribed to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (such as Adderall®) and narcolepsy.

A type of CNS depressant sometimes prescribed to relieve anxiety, panic, or acute stress reactions. Some benzodiazepines are prescribed short-term to promote sleep. Diazepam (Valium®) and alprazolam (Xanax®) are among the most widely prescribed benzodiazepine medications.

Analgesic that may be prescribed to control or moderate severe pain or to treat opioid use disorder as an opioid substitution medication. It can be administered under the tongue by tablet, by injection, or by a transdermal skin patch.

Synthetic opioid which can be up to 100 times more toxic than fentanyl. Use of this toxic drug, even in very small amounts, could result in overdose. It is used as a tranquilizer for large animals such as elephants.

Chemicals that bind to cannabinoid receptors in the brain. They are found naturally in the brain (anandamide, 2-arachidonoylglycerol) and also in marijuana (THC and CBD).

A form of psychotherapy that teaches people strategies to identify and correct problematic associations among thoughts, emotions, and behaviors in order to enhance self-control, stop drug use, and address a range of other problems that often co-occur with them.

When two disorders or illnesses occur in the same person. Drug addiction and other mental illnesses or viral infections (HIV, hepatitis) are often comorbid. Also referred to as co-occurring disorders.

A treatment approach based on providing incentives to support positive behavior change.

A powerful, often overwhelming desire to use drugs.

A smokable chemical variation of methamphetamine (also called jib, ice, crystal, speed or crank). Methamphetamine is a potent, long-acting synthetic stimulant drug. Use of crystal meth can lead to adverse health effects, including psychotic episodes.

In Canada, colonization occurred when a new group of people migrated to North America, took over and began to control Indigenous Peoples. Colonizers impose their own cultural values, religions, and laws, make policies that do not favor the Indigenous Peoples.

Unlike legalization, decriminalization refers only to the removal of penal and criminal sanctions on an activity, which retains prohibited status and non-penal regulation.

Decolonization restores the Indigenous world views, culture and traditional ways. Decolonization replaces Western interpretations of history with Indigenous perspectives of history.

A condition that can occur with the regular use of illicit or some prescription drugs, even if taken as prescribed. Dependence is characterized by withdrawal symptoms when drug use is stopped. A person can be dependent on a substance without being addicted, but dependence sometimes leads to addiction.

Action or a decision that treats a person or a group negatively for reasons such as their race, age, socio-economic status, gender, sexual orientation or ability.

A process in which the body rids itself of a drug, or its metabolites. Medically-assisted detoxification may be needed to help manage a person’s withdrawal symptoms. Detoxification alone is not a treatment for substance use disorders, but this is often the first step in a drug treatment program.

A brain chemical, classified as a neurotransmitter, found in regions of the brain that regulate movement, emotion, motivation, and reinforcement of rewarding behavior.

An older diagnostic term that defines use that is unsafe, use that leads a person to fail to fulfill responsibilities or gets them in legal trouble, or use that continues despite causing persistent interpersonal problems. This term is increasingly avoided by professionals because it can perpetuate stigma. Current appropriate terms include: drug use (in the case of illicit substances), drug misuse (in the case of problematic use of legal drugs or prescription medications) and addiction (in the case of substance use disorder).

Refers to the sum total of policies and laws affecting supply and/or demand of illicit drugs, and may include issues such as education, treatment, and law enforcement.

An opioid pain medication. Fentanyl has medical uses and can be prescribed by a physician to help control severe pain, but in recent years it is also being produced in illegal labs and sold on the streets, often mixed with other drugs (such as heroin, cocaine, and others). Fentanyl is 50 to 100 times more toxic than morphine, which makes the risk of accidental overdose higher.

Policies, programs and practices that aim to reduce the adverse health, social, and economic consequences of substance use for people unable or unwilling to stop using immediately. Harm reduction is a pragmatic response that focuses on keeping people immediately safe and minimizing death, disease, and injury from high risk behavior. It involves a range of strategies and services to enhance the knowledge, skills, resources, and support for individuals, families and communities to be safer and healthier.

Treatment that includes the provision of pharmaceutical grade heroin (diacetylmorphine) under medical supervision, along with other interventions that support people who are seeking treatment for opioid use disorder.

Illegal or forbidden by law.

Transgenerational trauma is when the experiences of parents affect the development of their children — and sometimes even their grandchildren. Also known as intergenerational trauma, it can show up biologically, socially, mentally, or emotionally.

A tendency to act without foresight or regard for consequences and to prioritize immediate rewards over long-term goals.

The act of administering drugs by injection. Blood-borne viruses, like HIV and hepatitis, can be transmitted via shared needles or other drug injection equipment.

As opposed to decriminalization, legalization refers to the process of transferring an activity from prohibited status to legally controlled status.

Services that have very few requirements for people to access them. For example, services may not require clients to be seeking or to achieve abstinence from substance use in order to participate.

A mental condition marked primarily by disorganization of personality, mind, and emotions that seriously impairs the psychological or behavioral functioning of the individual. This is sometimes referred to as a mental health condition. Addiction is a mental disorder.

A long-acting opioid agonist medication used for the treatment of opioid addiction and pain..

An opioid antagonist medication approved to reverse an opioid overdose. It displaces opioid drugs (such as morphine or heroin) from their receptor and prevents further opioid receptor activation.

An overdose occurs when a person uses enough of a drug to produce a life-threatening reaction or death.

An evidence-based treatment for opioid use disorder, which involves the prescription and daily administration of medications that are substitutes for opioids such as heroin or fentanyl. It relieves withdrawal symptoms, reduces the physiological cravings and allows body functions to become stable. Methadone and buprenorphine/naloxone (also called Suboxone) are the most common medications used for opioid substitution treatment. Also known as Opioid Agonist Treatment, Opioid Substitution Therapy and Opioid Assisted Treatment.

Services that were established as a response to the opioid overdose public health emergency, which provide people who use drugs a space where they can be monitored by health professionals, and receive treatment for an overdose if needed.

In drug addiction, relapse is the return to drug use after an attempt to stop. Relapse is a common occurrence in many chronic health disorders, including addiction, that requires frequent behavioral and/or pharmacologic adjustments to be treated effectively.

The use of a substance to lessen the negative effects of stress, anxiety, or other mental disorders (or side effects of their pharmacotherapy) without the guidance of a health care provider. Self-medication may lead to addiction and other drug- or alcohol-related problems.

A set of negative attitudes and beliefs that motivate people to fear and discriminate against other people. Many people do not understand that addiction is a disorder just like other chronic disorders. For these reasons, they frequently attach more stigma to it. Stigma, whether perceived or real, often fuels myths and misconceptions, and can influence choices. It can impact attitudes about seeking treatment, reactions from family and friends, behavioral health education and awareness, and the likelihood that someone will not seek or remain in treatment.

A medical illness caused by disordered use of a substance or substances. According to the Fifth Edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), SUDs are characterized by clinically significant impairments in health, social function, and impaired control over substance use and are diagnosed through assessing cognitive, behavioral, and psychological symptoms. An SUD can range from mild to severe.

Health services where people consume drugs (that they have obtained elsewhere) in a hygienic environment, under the supervision of trained staff. The intent is to reduce the number of overdose deaths, connect people who use illegal drugs with healthcare services, including treatment and reduce public drug use and discarded used needles. SCS also provides opportunities to engage in other health and social services.

The brand name of a medication that contains a four-to-one ratio of buprenorphine and naloxone, and is prescribed for opioid substitution treatment. Buprenorphine activates opioid receptors in the brain and relieves pain up to a certain point. The result is that treatment with Suboxone virtually eliminates cravings for opioids in people with opioid use disorder who use it as directed by a qualified medical professional. It can be taken once per day as a pill or other format.

An experience that overwhelms an individual’s capacity to cope. Trauma can be devastating, interfere with a person’s sense of safety, self and self-efficacy, as well as the ability to regulate emotions and navigate relationships. Traumatized people may feel terror, shame, helplessness, powerlessness, and may engage in problematic substance use or unhealthy behaviours as a way to cope. Trauma can include events experienced in early life, such as child abuse, neglect, disrupted attachment or witnessing violence. It can also be rooted in events later in life such as violence, accidents, natural disasters, war, sudden unexpected loss and other life events that are out of one’s control.

Symptoms that may occur when a person with a substance use disorder or drug dependence stops or decreases use. These symptoms can typically be managed through appropriate treatment (withdrawal management).

Quitting or cutting down on substance use under the care of a health professional. The aim is to alleviate pain and to achieve a temporary state of abstinence from the substance(s) and to treat any physical or psychiatric conditions.