| Current Canadian Drug Statistics |
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Substance Abuse is on the rise worldwide, and Canada is not immune. Here are some current Canadian statistics on drug and alcohol abuse: 47,000 Canadian deaths are linked to substance abuse annually. Just released: 2009 Ontario Student Drug Use Study by the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health 23% of Ontario students report that they were offered, sold, or given a drug at school in the last year. That's about 219,000 students. 42% of Ontario students surveyed have used an illicit substance in the last year. 83% of Ontario students in grade 12 drink alcohol. 49% of gr. 12 students admit to binge drinking. The top four substances used by Ontario students: 58% alcohol; Cannabis (marijuana) 25%; Non-prescribed use of prescription pain relievers such as codeine, Percocet, Percodan, Demerol, or Tylenol #3, 17%; Tobacco 11.7%. In a 2008 study, 23% of 14 year olds and 70% of 17 year olds in Saskatchewan reported drinking 5 or more drinks within a 2-hour period at least once in the past month. Street youth are 11 times more likely to die of drug overdose and suicide. Substance abuse has cost our health care system $8 billion. Female addicts are 54% more likely to die prematurely because of their drug use. B.C. Bud (marijuana) crops generate an estimated $5 billion to $7 billion annually. CSIS estimates there are roughly 950 organized criminal groups active in Canada (and about 80 per cent derive revenues from illegal drug sales). 14 gangs currently operate within the borders of Toronto's Division 12. Canada's illegal drug trade hit a 30-year high in 2007. For every $5 spent on drug rehabilitation by the Canadian government, $95 is spent on incarceration of drug users. 60% of illicit drug users in Canada are between the ages of 15 and 24. 10% of night time drivers showed evidence of drug use while only 8.1% tested positive for alcohol. Pedestrians under the influence of alcohol accounted for 12.3% of alcohol related road deaths in Canada. UN Office on Drugs and Crime found 16.8% of Canadians aged 15 to 64 smoked marijuana or used other cannabis products. One out of every three high school kids in Ontario who is smoking is choosing to buy his cigarettes from, basically, a criminal. A recent national survey found that between 1994 and 2004, the proportion of Canadians who reported having used an illicit drug in their lifetime rose from 28% to 45%. Among the over 100,000 drug-related incidents identified by police in 2007, 62% involved cannabis. Of these, three-quarters were for possession. In its 2008 annual report on organized crime, Criminal Intelligence Service Canada (CISC) states that Canada has become one of the primary source countries in the world for ecstasy. In 2007, the police-reported rate of drug offences in Canada reached its highest point in 30 years. In 2006/2007, about half of all drug-related court cases were stayed, withdrawn, dismissed or discharged. When asked about their specific crime worries, 52% of those polled said they were "very concerned" about drug activity. About one Ontario student in 50 (2%) said he or she had used crack at least once in the past year. This is about 19,300 students. Children of addicts are up to 9 times more likely to develop an addiction of their own. In 2005, about one Ontario student in 20 (4.4%) in grades 7 to 12 said he or she had used cocaine at least once in the past year. This is almost 43,000 students. Between 1991 and 2007, opioid-related deaths doubled in Ontario. Oxycodone prescriptions (known by brand names Oxycontin & Percocet) have increased 850% in 10 years.
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