Canada. Non-medical Use of Drugs Directorate : During the 1960s, the availability of certain psycho tropic or mind-altering drugs such as sedatives, barbiturates, tranquillizers, stimulants, and psychedelic-hallucinogens (i.e., cannabis and LSD) greatly increased. The sniffing of solvents such as glue, nail polish remover, and cleaning fluid was also becoming more common. In response to concerns over the increase of use of licit and illicit drugs, and the resulting arrests for drug offenses, on May 1, 1969, the Minister of National Health and Welfare, the Honourable John Munro, announced the formation of a commission of inquiry into the non-medical usage of drugs.
The Commission, chaired by Gerald Le Dain, was to inquire into and report on the factors underlying or relating to the non-medical use of drugs and substances, with particular reference to; the current knowledge, including medical knowledge, of non-medical use of sedatives, stimulants, tranquillizing, hallucinogenic and other psycho tropic substances; the motivation of non-medical use; the social, economic, educational and philosophical causes and effects of non-medical use of drugs; and the ways and means which the federal government could use to act, alone or in conjunction with other levels of government, to reduce the problem. Hearings were held across the country between October 16, 1969 and February 19, 1971, and the Commission received 507 formal submissions and numerous letters on the subject. Its interim report was issued on April 6, 1970, and the final report tabled in the House of Commons on December 14, 1973.
The mandate of the Non-Medical Use of Drugs Directorate (NMUD), created in 1971, was to reduce the health and social problems caused by the non-medical use of tobacco, alcohol and drugs. Through its four bureaux (Research and Analytical Services, Program Implementation, Information and Professional Services, and Use of Tobacco), NMUD; made grants available for research programs and the testing, demonstration, and stimulation of innovative programs; prevented the non-medical use of drugs through information/ education and investigated smoking and the use of tobacco. The responsibilities of the Directorate were taken over by the newly-created Health Services and Promotions Branch in 1972.
One of the earliest tasks of the NMUD was analysing the final report of the Le Dain Commission and preparing responses to its recommendations which would be used in shaping the policies and programs of Health and Welfare as they related to the non-medical use of drugs. The records in these volumes consist of working files, apparently from the office of the Director-General of the NMUD, containing information from the Commission, the Interdepartmental Committee on the Le Dain Commission, and the final analysis of the recommendations. Also included is background on the Commission, minutes of the Interdepartmental Committee, position papers from the Commission, and correspondence and memoranda regarding the composition of the analysis of and reply to the Commission's recommendations.
