Recent studies of cocaine use and abuse in Canada.

The article reports on recent studies of cocaine use and abuse in Canada. This paper reviews the available data on cocaine convictions as well as surveys of use in general and student populations, studies of high-risk groups and admissions to treatment. Convictions for cocaine offences increased throughout the 1980's. Several types of data show that cocaine use is greatest among young males and that rates of use are highest in Ontario, British Columbia, and Quebec and lowest in the Maritimes. Government agencies quickly responded to this "epidemic". A Canadian National Drug Strategy document noted that "intelligence concerning cocaine abuse points to a progressive escalation trend which has been consistent for the past several years." There is a striking geographic variation for cocaine convictions. In 1988, half of the convictions were in Quebec, 30% in Ontario and 11% in British Columbia, leaving only 9% for the remaining provinces and territories. Fewer than 10 convictions were registered in Yukon, the Northwest Territories, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland. Few surveys of general population adults include information on cocaine use. Rates of reported use are typically low and most surveys find few heavy or daily users.