Statistics Canada
Symbol of the Government of Canada

Study: Trends in police-reported drug offences

Warning View the most recent version.

Archived Content

Information identified as archived is provided for reference, research or recordkeeping purposes. It is not subject to the Government of Canada Web Standards and has not been altered or updated since it was archived. Please "contact us" to request a format other than those available.

2007

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.

Police-reported crime and drug offence rates

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.

Definitions, data sources and methods: survey number 3302.

The Juristat article "Trends in police-reported drug offences," Vol. 29, no. 2 (85-002-X, free) is now available. From the By subject module of our website choose Crime and Justice.

For more information, or to enquire about concepts, methods or data quality of this release, contact Information and Client Services (toll-free 1-800-387-2231: 613-951-9023), Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics.

Table 1

Police-reported drug offences, by type of drug
  Cannabis Cocaine Other drugs Total drug offences
  number rate1
1997 47,933 11,468 6,163 66,593 222.7
1998 50,917 12,182 7,822 70,921 235.2
1999 60,011 11,963 8,168 80,142 263.6
2000 66,274 12,829 8,988 88,091 287.0
2001 67,921 12,145 9,329 89,395 288.2
2002 69,687 12,737 10,357 92,781 295.7
2003 61,087 14,225 11,473 86,791 274.0
2004 67,895 16,974 12,755 97,630 305.1
2005 60,492 19,270 13,897 93,664 289.9
2006 59,521 22,383 14,266 96,175 294.6
2007 62,510 22,819 15,344 100,675 305.3
Rates are calculated per 100,000 population.

Table 2

Police-reported drug offences, by province and territory
   2007 1997 to 2007
  number rate1 % change in rate
Newfoundland and Labrador 857 169.3 27.8
Prince Edward Island 197 142.1 -36.6
Nova Scotia 2,506 268.3 18.8
New Brunswick 1,874 249.9 5.6
Quebec 20,357 264.3 38.5
Ontario 31,018 242.3 29.9
Manitoba 2,466 207.8 9.9
Saskatchewan 2,851 286.0 39.0
Alberta 9,092 261.7 44.6
British Columbia 28,632 653.7 52.9
Yukon 209 674.4 52.1
Northwest Territories2 456 1,069.5 44.4
Nunavut2 160 514.3 -16.4
Canada 100,675 305.3 37.1
Rates are calculated per 100,000 population.
Rates for the Northwest Territories and Nunavut are calculated from 1999 to 2007.

Table 3

Police-reported drug offences, by census metropolitan area
   2007 1997 to 2007
  number rate1 % change in rate
  500,000 and over population
Vancouver 14,407 630.1 68.6
Québec 2,090 285.3 11.0
Edmonton 2,437 222.4 40.2
Toronto 12,132 220.2 56.6
Ottawa2 1,915 215.2 59.5
Montréal 7,563 202.8 50.5
Hamilton 1,325 187.3 50.0
Calgary 1,891 165.0 52.0
Winnipeg 1,151 157.2 11.8
  100,000 to less than 500,000 population
Trois-Rivières 829 564.9 161.7
Victoria 1,596 471.1 10.0
Abbotsford3 664 392.7 20.0
Gatineau4 1,120 382.6 59.8
Saskatoon 873 348.8 65.6
Saint John 339 334.2 87.3
Windsor 968 290.9 -22.1
Thunder Bay 355 289.7 10.7
Greater Sudbury 444 273.3 132.5
Halifax 1,029 267.0 44.0
London 1,211 254.1 20.0
Kitchener 1,210 243.8 83.7
Sherbrooke 349 232.9 20.4
Kingston3 319 208.7 11.7
Regina 345 169.6 27.6
St. Catharines–Niagara 650 149.8 -32.3
St. John's 257 140.7 34.4
Saguenay 182 125.6 -19.4
Canada 100,675 305.3 37.1
Rates are calculated per 100,000 population.
Refers to the Ontario part of the Ottawa–Gatineau census metropolitan area.
Abbotsford and Kingston became census metropolitan areas in 2001. As such the percent change in the rate is calculated from 2001 to 2007.
Refers to the Quebec part of the Ottawa–Gatineau census metropolitan area.