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Ease the Burden

“It takes strength to ask for help.”

Health Canada paid advertising campaign launched in late 2022 and relaunched in 2024, aimed at men in the trades and other physically demanding jobs, who account for a large share of Canada's opioid toxicity deaths. It tells them that it takes strength to ask for help with substance use, points to free supports (Wellness Together Canada, Canada.ca/opioids) and gives employers a communications toolkit.

Years
2022–now
Country
Canada
Topic
DrugsMental healthOpioids
Asks people to
Reduce stigmaSeek helpTalk to someone
Strategy
Service linkStigma reductionTrusted messenger
Channel
Social (paid)TVWebsite
Audience
AdultsMen
Men working in the trades and physically demanding jobs (Health Canada notes 30-50% of people who died of opioid toxicity and were employed worked in trades); also their families and employers.

Evidence

ProcessUnknown

Evaluated with the federal Advertising Campaign Evaluation Tool (required for media buys over $1 million): Ipsos online surveys of Canadians 18+ before (n=2,319, Jul-Aug 2022) and after (n=2,327, Apr 2023; n=2,335, Jan 2024). The fetched methodological report does not give the recall or attitude results. The minister said in Dec 2022 that the campaign had 'reached millions of people' in its first months (sponsor claim).

Sponsor (who paid)

Credits (who made it)

  • Ipsos Public Affairs Research evaluation, 2022-2024 source

Executions (individual ads)

Related campaigns

Sources

  1. Ease the burden of substance use and addiction (Canada.ca campaign page) sponsor · 2024
  2. Statement from the Minister of Mental Health and Addictions on the overdose crisis, December 2022 (launch of Ease the Burden) sponsor · 2022
  3. Statement from the Minister of Mental Health and Addictions on the overdose crisis, June 2024 (re-launch) sponsor · 2024
  4. Post-Evaluation of Stigma and Opioid Harm Reduction Advertising Campaign (ACET), methodological report, Ipsos for Health Canada, POR 090-23 evaluation · 2024
  5. Opioids Overdose Crisis Brand and Message Focus Testing (HCPOR 23-42), Health Canada evaluation · 2024
  6. Communications toolkit for employers of men in trades (Health Canada) sponsor

Research notes

Discovered 2026-10-22 for #17. Credits checked 2026-10-22 against fetched pages: Ipsos Public Affairs (ACET methodological report, contract CW2338465). Creative and media agency not identified; Government of Canada advertising annual reports (now on canada.ca) list campaign spend and should be checked for budget. Find the ACET results report (recall, attitude change) and an official YouTube upload of the spots; the YouTube copy listed is a third-party upload. Creative-testing reports (POR 008-22 for the 2022 creatives, HCPOR 23-42 for 'Ease the Burden II') describe the concepts. Successor to the 2018-2021 federal stigma ads (ca-hc-opioid-stigma-campaign).

Record cases/ca-hc-ease-the-burden.json, updated 2026-10-22· Link to this campaign