Illicit drug trade: First-in-Canada technology Track and Trace initiative will improve intelligence, save lives

THE Province is funding a pilot project that will enable police and scientists to use new digital technology and lab robotics to analyze and track the flow of toxic drugs and create earlier warning systems to alert people of increased danger of illicit drugs in their area.

“The illicit drug supply is changing faster than our warning systems,” said Nina Krieger, Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General, on Friday. “Track and Trace is an innovative technology that will allow early detection of emerging drug threats, provide clear insights into supply changes and risks, and improve co-ordination across jurisdictions in B.C.”

The Province is investing $300,000 annually for two years to support Aidos Innovations’ Track and Trace pilot program. The program automates drug analysis using lab robotics and provides an artificial intelligence-assisted dashboard for law enforcement to map and track dangerous drugs in B.C. communities. The program is the first of its kind in Canada.

Track and Trace is a program from Aidos Innovations, a non-profit science institute, developed in collaboration with the University of British Columbia (UBC). Track and Trace aims to save lives by helping front-line responders to more quickly identify and respond to the most dangerous substances in the illegal drug supply.

Track and Trace will provide clearer insights into the illicit drug supply, determine where the greatest harms originate and enable an earlier public heath response by:

* providing forensic drug analysis using lab robotics to detect new toxic substances in the illicit drug supply

* using predictive geographic mapping to establish illicit drug supply distribution patterns and movement over time

* providing early warnings of changes to the toxic-drug supply to support public health and safety

* providing law enforcement with advanced forensic intelligence tools to trace drug supply chains, detect diversion events and disrupt production methods fuelling organized crime

“B.C. continues to face a toxic-drug crisis that puts lives at risk due to increasingly dangerous substances in the unregulated drug supply,” said Josie Osborne, Minister of Health. “Through this innovative Track and Trace technology, drugs can be quickly analyzed to identify harmful compounds and map how they move through communities. This approach supports informed health responses, helping to reduce harm and save lives.”

The initiative uses advanced technology, including laboratory robotics, to gather information from drugs seized by police. Data from each analysis, including detailed chemical signatures (a distinct molecular pattern), are uploaded to a secure database where artificial intelligence is used to map and track drug distribution patterns. This allows police to link and compare seized substances across communities and time periods, providing clearer insights into the illicit drug supply and where the greatest harms originate.

“Track and Trace gives police a more informed way to respond to the toxic-drug crisis,” said Fiona Wilson, chief constable, Victoria Police Department. “By improving real-time visibility into what is circulating, we can identify emerging risks sooner, share timely warnings with front-line responders and the public, and better understand patterns in the drug supply. This is a first step that supports stronger collaboration and more effective public safety and public health responses, with the goal of ultimately saving lives in our communities.”

A multidisciplinary team will continue exploring additional tools in future phases of the project to keep people safe and tackle the growing toxic-drug crisis.

Aidos Innovations is a non-profit translational science institute focused on turning cutting-edge research into real-world tools, technologies and solutions that support patients, clinicians, and front-line public-safety and health responders in the substance-use field.

Angela Chapman, president and CEO, VGH and UBC Hospital Foundation, said: “Track and Trace has the potential to save and improve lives across B.C. This work began with the generosity of donors to VGH and UBC Hospital Foundation, who supported the research that inspired this groundbreaking technology through the Innovations in Mental Health, Addictions and Pain Program led by Dr. Pouya Azar. It is exciting to see the research of our health-care partners translated into real-world solutions, providing hope in a crisis that continues to devastate our communities.”

Learn More:

* For more information about Aidos Innovations, visit: https://www.aidosinnovations.ai/