Canada. Dramatic Increase in Police-reported Drug Offences

The rate of police-reported drug offences has generally been increasing since the early 1990s and, in 2007, reached its highest point in 30 years.

The rising trend in drug offences coincides with a decreasing trend in overall police-reported crime.

In recent years, cannabis offences have generally declined, while steady increases have been reported for cocaine offences and for a grouping of other illicit drugs which includes crystal meth, ecstasy and "date rape" drugs.

Cannabis offences continue to account for the majority of the just over 100,000 reported drug crimes. In 2007, almost two-thirds of all drug offences reported by police were for cannabis offences and one-quarter for cocaine.

Three-quarters of all cannabis offences in 2007 were for possession, 13% for trafficking and 11% for production. Overall, 6 in 10 production incidents were reported by police to have been located in a residence, 32% in an open field and 3% in a commercial establishment.

About half of all reported cocaine offences involved possession and half, trafficking. For the category of "other" drug offences, about 60% were for possession, 30% for trafficking and 10% for production.

Regardless of the type of drug or the type of offence, the rates of police-reported drug crime in British Columbia have been among the highest in Canada for 30 years. In 2007, the police-reported drug crime rate in British Columbia was more than double the rate in Saskatchewan, the next highest province.

Three of the five census metropolitan areas with the highest reported rates of drug offences were in British Columbia: Vancouver, Victoria and Abbotsford. The other two were in Quebec: Trois-Rivières and Gatineau.

Trois-Rivières also experienced the largest increase in police-reported drug offences of any metropolitan area since 1997. In 2007, its rate was two and half times higher than 10 years earlier.

The number of drug offences recorded by police services is affected by local police policies and available resources.

Over the previous 10 years, the rate of youth 12 to 17 years of age accused of drug offences had more than doubled. By comparison, the rate for adults increased 32%.

Youth accounted for 19% of all persons accused of drug offences in 2007, although this varied by type of drug. Youth comprised 24% of those accused of cannabis offences, compared with 5% of all those accused of cocaine offences.

Drug-related cases are less likely to result in conviction than cases in general. In 2006/2007, 55% of adult cases and 48% of youth cases involving drug-related charges resulted in a finding of guilt. This compares with 65% and 60% for cases in general.

A higher proportion of drug-related cases were stayed, withdrawn, dismissed or discharged compared with cases in general.

In 2006/2007, half of all adults convicted of drug trafficking were sentenced to custody, compared with 16% of adults convicted of drug possession. For youth, probation was the most common sentence for both possession and trafficking convictions.

Source; Statistics Canada, May, 13, 2009

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