Australian Institue of Criminology

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Australian crime : facts and figures 2001

  • ISBN 0 642 24253 4
  • Canberra: Australian Institute of Criminology, 2002

The Australian Bureau of Criminal Intelligence has reported drug arrest and seizure statistics since 1992. This section provides an overview of arrest patterns for offenders between 1995-1996 and 1999-2000.

Information is provided on arrests for the following types of drugs:

  • cannabis;
  • heroin (and other opioids);
  • amphetamines;
  • cocaine; and
  • other drugs (not defined elsewhere).

Cannabis arrests include expiation notices, drug infringement notices and simple cannabis offence notices. Offenders involved in drug arrests are divided into the following two categories:

  • consumers-persons charged with user-type offences (e.g. possessing or administering drugs for own personal use); and
  • providers-persons charged with supply-type offences (e.g. importation, trafficking, selling, cultivation and manufacture).

In the case of a person being charged with consumer and provider offences, the provider charge takes precedence and the person is counted only as a provider of that drug.

Figure 96 : Number of arrests as a percentage of total drug arrests by type of drug, 1995-1996 to 1999-2000

Figure 96

* 'Other' includes hallucinogens, steroids and other drugs (not defined elsewhere).

  • Between 1995-1996 and 1999-2000, a declining trend is evident in the percentage of drug arrests related to cannabis. In 1995-1996, 80% of drug arrests involved cannabis compared to 67% in 1999-2000.

Figure 97 : Number of consumers and providers arrested as percentage of all drug arrests specific to each type of drug, 1995-1996 and 1999-2000

1995-1996

Figure 97a

1999-2000

Figure 97b

* 'Other' includes hallucinogens, steroids and other drugs (not defined elsewhere).

  • The majority of people arrested for drug offences are consumers rather than providers, irrespective of drug type.
  • In 1999-2000, 85% of persons arrested for cannabis offences were consumers, compared to 58% of arrests for cocaine offences.
  • The percentage of total cannabis arrests accounted for by consumers increased from 74% to 85% between 1995-1996 and 1999-2000.

Figure 98 : Drug consumers, number of arrests as a percentage of total drug arrests by type of drug, 1995-1996 and 1999-2000

1995-1996

Figure 98a

1999-2000

Figure 98b

* 'Other' includes hallucinogens, steroids and other drugs (not defined elsewhere).

  • Arrests for cannabis, heroin and amphetamines accounted for 93% of all consumer arrests in 1999-2000.
  • Consumers were most likely to be arrested for a cannabis offence in both 1995-1996 and 1999-2000. However, there has been some change in the past four years, with a decrease in the percentage of arrested cannabis users from 79% to 71%.
  • Between 1995-1996 and 1999-2000 there was an increase in the percentage of consumers arrested for heroin and amphetamine offences. The percentage of consumers arrested for amphetamine offences more than doubled over the four-year period.



Figure 99 : Drug providers, number of arrests as a percentage of total drug arrests by type of drug, 1995-1996 and 1999-2000

1995-1996

Figure 99a

1999-2000

Figure 99b

* 'Other' includes hallucinogens, steroids and other drugs (not defined elsewhere).

  • As with consumers, most providers are arrested for importing, producing, trafficking or selling cannabis.
  • In 1999-2000, cannabis accounted for 58% of all provider arrests. Heroin and amphetamines accounted for 20% and 13% of provider arrests, respectively.
  • Over the past three years there has been a substantial decline in the percentage of provider arrests related to cannabis offences. In 1995-1996, 82% of arrests against providers were for cannabis offences compared to 58% in 1999-2000.
  • The percentage of total provider arrests accounted for by heroin and amphetamine offences almost tripled between 1995-1996 and 1999-2000.

Figure 100 : Drug consumers, number of arrests as a percentage of total drug arrests by gender and type of drug, 1999-2000

Figure 100

* 'Other' includes hallucinogens, steroids and other drugs (not defined elsewhere).

Figure 101 : Drug providers, number of arrests as a percentage of total drug arrests by gender and type of drug, 1999-2000

Figure 101

* 'Other' includes hallucinogens, steroids and other drugs (not defined elsewhere).

  • Irrespective of drug type, males accounted for four in five arrests of both consumer and provider offences.

Source: Reference 16.