Category: Press Release
Posted: July 30 2018
Author: CDPE

Introducing the Centre on Drug Policy Evaluation: A New Identity and Mandate for the organization formerly known as the International Centre for Science in Drug Policy

Toronto, Canada –A Toronto-based drug policy research and communications group housed at St. Michael’s Hospital, a site of Unity Health Toronto, has unveiled its new identity. The Centre on Drug Policy Evaluation (CDPE; www.cdpe.org), previously known as the International Centre for Science in Drug Policy, is also announcing a new website and research projects aimed at combating the opioid overdose epidemic through public health interventions and the development of effective drug policies.

Since its inception in 2010 as the International Centre for Science in Drug Policy (ICSDP), the CDPE has been committed to improving community health and safety by conducting research and outreach to guide effective and evidence-based policy responses to substance use. The CDPE adheres to the highest standards of peer-reviewed scientific research and works collaboratively with governments, affected communities, and civil society. With a long history of producing accessible, relevant, and high impact research and knowledge translation materials, the CDPE has made significant contributions to the knowledge base for effective drug policies and is a sought-after source of expertise in this field.

While the overarching mission and principles of the CDPE remain consistent, the organization has broadened its portfolio under the leadership of Executive Director, Dr. Dan Werb. This expansion led to an internal decision to rebrand the organization to better reflect its activities and accomplishments.

“The Centre’s work has broadened from systematic research on the effects of drug policy to directly advising governments – including Canada’s federal government and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime – on drug policy development, and to implementing innovative interventions to prevent overdose deaths,” explained Dr. Werb, Executive Director of the CDPE. “We were overdue for a strategy to better communicate our work and our rebrand accomplishes that.”

Dr. Werb pointed to a number of projects that the CDPE is undertaking to exemplify the Centre’s new direction. These include:

  • The launch of a network of drug checking services in Toronto, Ontario to address overdose arising from the use of toxic street drugs;
  • A scientific evaluation of the health and social impacts of integrated supervised injection services in Toronto, Ontario;
  • An international scientific study to prevent entry into injection drug use, dubbed PRIMER; and,
  • The Drug Policy Metrics Map, an online tool that allows users to compare the metrics that countries use to evaluate their drug policies alongside the drug-related outcomes they are experiencing.

More information about the CDPE and its work can be found at www.cdpe.org, by following the CDPE on Facebook and Twitter, and by subscribing to the CDPE newsletter.

About the Centre on Drug Policy Evaluation
The CDPE strives to improve community health and safety by conducting research and outreach on best practices in drug policy. We work collaboratively with governments, affected communities, and civil society to guide effective and evidence-based policy responses to substance use. The CDPE was founded as the International Centre for Science in Drug Policy (ICSDP) in 2010 at the BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS in Vancouver, Canada. The CDPE is now housed within the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute at St. Michael’s Hospital, a site of Unity Health Toronto, in Toronto, Canada.

 For more information or to arrange a media interview, please contact:
Nazlee Maghsoudi
Knowledge Translation Manager, CDPE
+1 (647) 702-7825
nazlee@cdpe.org