Sure. I think your point underscores the fact that people have to recognize that what the health minister is being asked for is to make an exemption under the act to allow for the use of illicit drugs at an establishment. There is an impact on the community, and there is an impact on the health system, so by all means we should and we will consult with all relevant stakeholders, including the provincial health ministers, as well as the chief public health officers, and the communities for very common-sense, good reasons.
But of course your comment is more about illicit drug use and treatment, writ large. That is a very concerning issue because we see more and more young people's lives destroyed by drugs. I hear from more and more parents who talk to me about needing more national campaigns to communicate with kids about the concern around drugs. We know that drugs don't just affect the one family member who is using them. They affect the entire family and sometimes even the extended family and friends at school. Drugs have really torn the families of a lot of people apart, and communities apart.
We have been focused on investing heavily in the area of drug treatment and prevention. We have the national anti-drug strategy, which Minister Blaney is very much involved with and responsible for, and we do a little bit of that with him. But that is around prevention, treatment, and enforcement to make sure that especially kids are warned about the risk of using drugs, and trying to prevent them from using them, but if they do, getting them the treatment they need and getting them out.
Let's be frank, I'm sure that everyone here—including Ms. Davies—would hope that no one would have to use a harmful drug, and hope there is treatment available for those who find themselves addicted to an illicit drug or any drug, including a prescription drug.
We recently announced an expansion of our anti-drug strategy to do exactly that and not just deal with illicit drug use, but prescription drug use, which is really on the rise recreationally by young people. We now have nearly $45 million in new funding over the next five years that we're using to work with community groups and provinces and territories to put forward programs that will deal not just with prevention, but with treatment as well. There are a number of different things we're doing.
In terms of the treatment and support for first nations and Inuit people, which is something our department is integrally involved in, it involves supporting treatment programs for young offenders with drug-related problems. It enables the RCMP to refer youth with drug-related problems to treatment programs, and supports research on new treatment tools.
We have also been working the provincial and territorial governments and other stakeholders to make strategic system investments in key areas, including evidence-informed practice, strengthening the evaluation and performance measurement of activities, and really trying to take some of the programs that work and implement them in different parts of the country. Through this program alone we've now provided over $100 million in funding to the provinces and territories. That's resulted now in over 8,000 people being trained in delivering treatment initiatives, and over 27,000 people being reached via knowledge exchange, and over 20,000 youth being provided with programs or services.
So we are trying very hard to tackle the issue with our youth, and I think that's exactly where we need to be.
The results of these kinds of projects have really been very positive, and they resonate with communities. Of course, this kind of success really resonates with parents who, when faced with a child who has a drug addiction, sometimes really don't know where to go. We're providing them with phone numbers, support, information, how to have a conversation with their kid about this, and how to approach them. We're doing everything we can to support those who are working on the front lines dealing with drug abuse.
Minister Blaney might like to add to this, but at the end of the day I think this is one of the most horrible things that can happen to any family, to see someone descend into a drug addiction. We see more and more kids overdosing, not just from illicit drugs, but from prescription drug abuse. As health minister I feel very strongly about our being out front, communicating with young people, communicating with their parents, and offering prevention programs and treatment programs.