What is a 4-Pillar Drug Strategy?

Over the past decade, municipal drug strategies operating from a 4-pillar model have been expanding across Ontario to respond to alcohol and other drug use issues, which are felt most acutely at the local level. These integrated, locally-based approaches are gaining increased credibility as successful, cross-sectoral responses that aim to improve the quality of life for individuals, families and communities across the province.

WGDS projects are typically cross-sector and multi-service in scope. The WGDS initiates discussion and relationships amongst all community stakeholders which respond to, or are impacted by, substance use challenges. By bringing diverse perspectives to the table, the WGDS, like other Four Pillar Drug Strategies in Ontario, works to bring about positive change that is effective and sustainable.

The Four Pillars of Wellington Guelph Drug Strategy Are:
Prevention
Treatment and Recovery
Harm Reduction
Community Safety

Prevention

The Prevention Pillar includes strategies and interventions that help to prevent the harmful use of substances.

This includes:

  • Reducing individual, family, neighbourhood and community harm from substance use by addressing risk factors and enhancing protective factors
  • Delaying the onset of first substance use
  • Reducing the incidence (rate of new cases over a period of time) and prevalence (number of current cases at one time in a population) of problematic substance use and substance dependence
  • Providing education regarding substance issues, resiliency, and the social determinants of health

Examples of prevention include supporting the development of programs/curriculum to educate youth regarding the risks/benefits of substance use, offering family and individual mentorship programs that build resilience and protective factors, and engaging in the development of municipal policies regarding selling and accessing substances.

Treatment and Recovery

The Treatment and Recovery Pillar supports the development of services and programs to provide options along a continuum of care to support the differing needs of individuals experiencing substance-related issues. These services vary in duration and intensity, ranging from abstinence-based programs to managed use programs, depending on individual client goals.

This includes:

  • Providing trauma-informed models of care
  • Advocating for supportive housing services for people with substance dependency
  • Offering peer-based support services
  • Building capacity within multiple sectors, including primary care and the justice system, for substance dependency treatment to be identified and offered in a timely and purposeful way

Examples of treatment and recovery include supporting the development of both community and residential withdrawal management (“detox”), and offering a variety of both inpatient and outpatient treatment services such as community-delivered addiction medicine services, counselling, self-help programs and so on, to meet a wide-range of client needs.

Harm Reduction

The Harm Reduction Pillar provides a health-centered approach to substance use. The principles of harm reduction require that no harm is done to those suffering from substance addiction, and that the focus is on the physical, emotional and relational harms caused by problematic substance use, rather than substance use itself. Customized harm reduction interventions can meet the needs of individuals, families, organizations, or society.

This includes:

  • Taking action to reduce the stigma associated with substance use and addiction
  • Building relationships with substance consumers so that the voice of lived experience contributes to all WGDS projects
  • Advocating for health equity in the delivery of addiction services
  • Seeking opportunities to educate about, and advocate for, harm reduction approaches (clinical, policy-focused, legislative, etc.)

Examples of harm reduction include needle exchange programs, offering overdose prevention and safe consumption sites, educating prescribers about opioid substitution therapies, mobile clinics, outreach and education about naloxone kits so that they are available to anyone requesting one.

Community Safety

The Community Safety Pillar recognizes the need for peace, public order and safety. It works to reduce crime and community harms associated with substance use while protecting the vulnerable and preserving and protecting life. This pillar includes local police services as well as the broader criminal justice system of the courts, probation and parole, etc.

This includes:

  • Encouraging working partnerships between police, justice and social/health service providers to address hard challenges
  • Supporting individuals whose addiction has resulted in criminal activities to find options that can lead to recovery
  • Developing effective pathways to support community members with substance issues transition safely out of the justice system

Examples of the Community Safety Pillar include Drug Treatment Court, the IMPACT team, advocating for an increase in the supply of Harm Reduction Supportive Housing, and developing case management models to support clients who have been released from custody.