Prince Albert has the highest per capita rate of cocaine and meth in wastewater across Canada, according to Stats. Canada. (submitted photo/PAPS)

By Susan McNeil

Drugs in the wastewater

P.A. tops Canada for cocaine/meth load in wastewater

Nov 14, 2023 | 5:00 PM

In a dubious first place finish, recently released numbers from Statistics Canada show Prince Albert having the highest amount of certain drugs in municipal wastewater in Canada.

Three separate graphs using per 100,000 numbers, show Prince Albert as having the highest levels of cocaine, methamphetamine and amphetamines in the country, with Saskatoon coming in second when it comes to meth and amphetamine use.

In a related article on its website, Statistics Canada says the use of stimulant drugs such as cocaine is contributing significantly to overdose deaths, with a 30 per cent increase in overdoses between 2020 and 2021 alone.

“The latest report from the Public Health Agency of Canada on opioid- and stimulant-related harms in Canada indicates that approximately half of apparent accidental opioid toxicity deaths also involved a stimulant,” the agency said.

Stimulants include cocaine, meth, ecstasy and speed or uppers (amphetamines). Some prescription drugs that treat ADHD are also amphetamines.

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The data was collected by the Canadian Wastewater Survey, which began in Canada in 2019 but the idea gained traction during the pandemic as it was also used to detect increases in COVID-19 in wastewater.

It also compared usage in Canada with major cities in Europe. There, Prince Albert is second with 1,611 mg/1,000 people/day and Antwerp, Belgium has 2,381 mg/1,000/day.

Use of cocaine has increased across Canada over the last few years, according to the report.

This screenshot from the Statisticcs Canada report shows the top five cities for cocaine load in wastewater. (screenshot/Stats. Canada)

According to a 2023 United Nations report on global cocaine use, 500,000 Canadians used cocaine in 2022. The drug is widely available here and the retail price is lower than many other countries.

When it comes to meth, the story is slightly different as when it breaks down, the resulting metabolite becomes amphetamine.

READ MORE: Four arrested, one warrant out as P.A. police make biggest drug bust in city’s history

Prince Albert also has the highest load of meth in its wastewater. (screenshot/Stats. Canada)

Meth use remains consistently higher in the Prairies and Prince Albert has led the way for the last two years.

The numbers were collected between January 2022 and May 2023.

Numbers are also high for amphetamine, but a contributing factor is that it makes up part of the drugs prescribed for ADHD.

Calls to the City of Prince Albert and the Water Security Agency were not returned by deadline.

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susan.mcneil@pattisonmedia.com