Starting in 1994, CCSA organized three international symposiums to discuss the issues involved in estimating the social and economic costs of substance abuse, and to seek a consensus on the most appropriate cost estimation model. Out of those meetings emerged a set of
international cost estimation guidelines that underwent a final revision in 2000 and were subsequently published by the
World Health Organization in 2003.
In November 2008, CCSA attended a roundtable meeting of non-governmental organizations and professionals from around the world at WHO headquarters in Geneva to discuss ways of contributing to reducing the harmful use of
alcohol. CCSA representatives introduced Canada’s National Alcohol Strategy as a way of mitigating negative consequences of alcohol use. Topics discussed and debated at the two-day meeting included advocacy by NGOs and professionals, best practice responses from health sectors, community action, drink-driving polices, harm reduction, and addressing illegal and informal alcohol production and distribution.