People use substances, like medicine, alcohol, tobacco, cannabis, or other substances for many reasons. Sometimes it's to help with health problems. Other times, people use them in religious or cultural ceremonies. Some use them for fun, or to help deal with stress, sadness, or pain. Substance use is different for everyone. Using substances can be viewed on a spectrum with good and bad effects. 

At CK Public Health, we want to help you make safe and healthy choices when using substances like tobacco, alcohol, and others. Whether you are trying to quit smoking, learn how to drink responsibly, or stay safe in other ways, our team is here to help you. We offer information, tools, and services to guide you every step of the way. 

In Canada, the illegal drug supply has become more dangerous in recent years. Some substances may be mixed with very strong substances like fentanyl, benzodiazepines, or xylazine. Most of the time, people don’t know what’s really in the substances they’re using when they get them illegally. This makes it much riskier to use substances. 

People who use substances from illegal sources are more likely to: 

• Have a poisoning or overdose 
• Get seriously hurt 
• Die 

Naloxone is a medicine that can temporarily reverse an opioid poisoning. Naloxone: 

• Is safe for people of all ages.  
• Doesn’t create dependence or addiction. 
• Only works if the person has opioids in their body.  
• Is safe to give to someone even if you aren’t sure what substances they used, but it won’t reverse an overdose from other substances. 

To stay safe, it’s best to treat any illegally sourced substance as if it could have something dangerous in it. 

Driving any vehicle (like a car, truck, boat, snowmobile, or off-road vehicle) after drinking or using substances is dangerous and against the law in Ontario. It is the number one cause of deaths on the road.

If the police find that you are driving while impaired, you can face:

• Licence suspension right away
• Paying fines and fees
• Having to take education or treatment programs
• Having your vehicle taken away
• Other, tougher penalties

The penalties you get can depend on your age, what kind of licence you have, how much alcohol or substances are in your body, and how many times you have been caught before.

Starting January 1, 2026, you can get penalties if your blood alcohol concentration (BAC) is 0.05 or higher. Before this, penalties started at a BAC of 0.08. For example, a 125-pound woman who drinks 3 beers in one hour could have a BAC of 0.073. If she drove with that BAC, she would get a 3-day licence suspension and a fine. Before January 1, 2026, she would not have gotten any penalties for this.

The best way to avoid impaired driving is to not drive after using alcohol or other substances. Plan for a safe way to get home.

To learn more about impaired driving, the penalties, and how to stay safe, visit Ontario’s impaired driving page.