Profile and Projection of Drug Offences

In Ontario

Figure 1. Number of adults charged with drug offences, by drug type, Ontario, 1977-1998

fig1 number of adults charged with drug offences by drug type ontario 1977-1998

Source : Uniform Crime Reporting Survey (UCR), Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics

Description

Figure 1 above is a broken-line graph showing the number of adults charged with drug offences, by type of drug, in Ontario from 1977 to 1998. The X axis shows the year; the Y axis shows the number of adults charged, in increments of 5,000, from 0 to 25,000. There are four broken lines: one (pale blue) showing the number of charges involving cannabis; one (pink) showing the number of charges involving cocaine; one (dark blue) showing the number of charges involving heroin; and one (yellow) showing the number of charges involving other drugs.

The number of charges in connection with cannabis from 1977 to 1998 ranges from 8,864 to 21,088. The number is initially high and then decreases starting in 1981, remaining steady until 1998.

The number of charges in connection with cocaine remains very low from 1977 to 1985. It then increases until 1992, when it peaks during the period studied at 4,976. It decreases slightly until 1998.

The number of charges in connection with heroin and other drugs follow practically the same trends, remaining stable and never exceeding 450.