Cocaine use is on the rise across Canada, and these cities rank the highest
Cocaine use has increased in Canada, according to new data released by Statistics Canada earlier this week.
The national statistics agency noted that in most municipalities across Canada, cocaine levels increased from January to May 2022 compared with the same period in 2020.
Preliminary data results from 2023 also suggest that the trend continues in most Canadian cities.
The study utilized data from the Canadian Wastewater Survey (CWS) to determine its results.
According to the wastewater data, the use of cocaine per capita in 2023 was highest in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, with an average of 1,633 mg per 1,000 residents being detected daily.
Halifax reported a daily average of 1,440 mg of cocaine per 1,000 residents. Montreal followed with 1,277 mg of cocaine detected per 1,000 people.
Statistics Canada
The report also compared coke found in wastewater between European and Canadian cities with over 100,000 people. The data determined that five Canadian cities — Halifax, Montreal, Edmonton, Vancouver, and Toronto — ranked in the top 10.
Statistics Canada
According to the UN 2023 Global Report on Cocaine, half a million Canadians reported using cocaine in 2022. The report also noted that the drug is “highly available” in Canada and runs for a cheaper retail price compared to other countries.
Per the Statistics Canada data, Canadian cities also showed high levels of crystal meth compared to other cities across the world.
However, although the use of crystal meth was higher in other international cities, its use in Canada did not “significantly increase in recent years,” noted the report.