2023-11-02 03:19:52
The quantity of cocaine present in Montreal’s waters has jumped by nearly 50% in just three years, shows a study which suggests that Montrealers are among the biggest cocaine addicts in Canada and Europe.
Data released Wednesday by Statistics Canada show that, for the first five months of 2023, Montreal’s wastewater contained 1,277 mg of cocaine per 1,000 inhabitants. In comparison, for the same months in 2020, we accumulated 864 mg per 1000 inhabitants. The presence of cocaine in wastewater has therefore increased by 48% in just three years.
The metropolis ranks third among Canadian cities for the quantity of cocaine per capita found in its wastewater. It is second only to Prince Albert and Halifax, shows the Canadian Wastewater Survey.
Champion in Canada… and in Europe!
By comparing its data with a similar study produced in Europe, we see that Montreal and Halifax were at the top of the cities addicted to cocaine in 2022, ahead of cities like Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Barcelona or Berlin. Only Antwerp, Belgium, and Tarragona, Spain, were ahead of the two Canadian cities.
“Compared to European cities that are part of the European Monitoring Center for Drugs and Drug Addiction’s analysis and have populations of more than 100,000, five Canadian cities would rank among the top 10 cities with the highest levels of cocaine in wastewater,” noted Statistics Canada, noting that 500,000 Canadians reported using cocaine in 2022, according to the UN.
The relative low cost of cocaine and its wide availability in Canada might explain the phenomenon, Statistics Canada argued.
Popular speed
The analysis published Wednesday also focuses on the presence of methamphetamine (crystal meth) and amphetamine (speed, ecstasy) in wastewater.
Although Montreal consumes significantly less methamphetamine than other Canadian cities, it saw its amphetamine consumption quadruple between 2020 and 2022, before decreasing slightly in 2023.
“As these increased levels of amphetamine in sewage do not correspond to increased levels of methamphetamine, this means that there has been increased use of amphetamine and other amphetamine-related drugs, which might include medications used to treat ADHD,” noted Statistics Canada, calling for further research.
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