Canadians big users of cocaine and alcohol

Canada ranks second in the world for cocaine use and third for drunkenness, according to a new study.

More than 130,000 people across 36 countries took part in the Global Drug Survey, led by Dr. Adam Winstock, an addiction medicine specialist, and his team in London.

Canadians median usage of cocaine was 10 days a year, according to the study, which surveyed 1,960 people in the country. That’s almost once a month and close to double the global answer of six days a year. Canadians reported using half a gram of cocaine, which matches the average worldwide.

“It’s not a surprise,” said Susan Bondy, an associate professor at the University of Toronto. “We sit high for drug and alcohol use in a lot of these studies.” Scotland ranked No. 1 for cocaine use at 12 days a year, and Brazil, Italy, Portugal, Denmark and England tied Canada for second place.

But six of 10 Canadians who use the drug want to cut back.

Despite cocaine being known as an expensive drug, it’s relatively affordable in Canada. It costs about $ 85 per gram here compared with the global average of $120, according to the report.

But the study also showed more troubling statistics for Canadians’ use of new psychoactive substances (NPS) — barely legal copycat drugs such as party pills and synthetic cannabis.

“NPS vary widely in their risk profile with inconsistent composition and potency often being significant factors in the risks they pose,” the report reads.

“Drugs with a psychedelic effect profile (including LSD imitations) are on the increase while potent novel opioid drugs like acetyl fentanyl and carfentanyl have been responsible for scores of deaths in Canada and these are the ones to watch in future years.”

The report found 12 per cent of Canadians surveyed used NPS, which was the second highest number and almost three times greater than the global average of 4.3 per cent.

The most popular vice may come as no surprise. Canada ranks third in the world for drunkenness, with people getting drunk 47 times a year, or nearly once a week.

Americans surveyed reported 50 days under the influence in the last 12 months while the U. K. participants had the most tipsy days with 51 drinking days a year.

About half of Canadians in the report wanted to drink less alcohol in the coming year, with close to one in five experiencing regret and two in 10 considering professional help.

Robert Mann, a scientist at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, calls the report “interesting,” but says Canadians haven’t been winning global drinking contests in his years of research.

“In general, we’re in the middle of the pack for alcohol for how much we drink and consumption levels,” he says.