Transfer of Controlled Drugs and Tobacco Powers

Summary#

This Order (SI/2022-31) moves the powers, duties and functions that the federal government carries out under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act and the Tobacco and Vaping Products Act away from the Minister of Health and gives them to the Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and the Associate Minister of Health. The order is dated May 26, 2022 (P.C. 2022-549) and was registered in the Canada Gazette on June 8, 2022.

What it does#

• Transfers responsibility for the federal roles under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act from the Minister of Health to the Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and the Associate Minister of Health.
• Transfers responsibility for the federal roles under the Tobacco and Vaping Products Act in the same way.
• The transfer is made under the Public Service Rearrangement and Transfer of Duties Act.
• The notice in the Gazette does not list specific program changes, staff moves, or new rules — it is an administrative reassignment of duties between ministers.

Who's affected#

• The ministers named: Minister of Health, Minister of Mental Health and Addictions, and Associate Minister of Health.
• Federal bodies and officials who support those ministers may be the ones that actually carry out the work under the two Acts.
• People and organizations involved in drug policy, tobacco and vaping regulation, and mental-health or addictions services are the groups most likely to notice a change in who leads or speaks for the federal government on these topics.
• The Gazette entry does not specify other groups or any immediate program-level impacts.

Why it matters#

• It changes who in the federal cabinet is responsible for steering policy and decisions under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act and the Tobacco and Vaping Products Act.
• That can affect which minister sets priorities, coordinates with provinces and partners, and represents the government publicly on these issues.
• The order itself does not change the text of the laws; it moves which minister holds the powers and duties under them.
• The notice gives no detail about specific practical effects, so how services or regulations will change (if at all) is not clear from this document alone.