Health of Canadians
Health behaviours
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8.0 Health behaviours
Key findings
- In 2023, 21.6% of Canadians aged 18 and older living in the provinces reported eating fruits or vegetables five or more times per day, a proportion that did not change compared with 2021.
- A greater share of women (25.8%) than men (17.3%) reported eating fruits or vegetables five or more times per day in 2023 across all age groups.
- The proportion of adults who reported eating fruits or vegetables five or more times per day was lower for those in the lowest income quintile (20.4%), compared with those in the highest quintile (22.8%).
- In 2022, 90.3% of mothers who had had a baby in the previous five years initiated breastfeeding or gave breast milk to their baby, and 36.4% of them exclusively breastfed for at least six months.
Physical activity and sleep
Physical activity, sleep and nutrition are key pillars of health that work together to enhance overall well-being. Physical activity boosts cardiovascular health, strengthens muscles and improves mood.Note 84 Adequate sleep is crucial for recovery, cognitive function and emotional balance.Note 85 Proper nutrition fuels the body with the vitamins and minerals necessary for optimal performance and immune function.Note 86
In 2026, Statistics Canada will release the first-ever results for directly measured sleep in Canada. Sleep and physical activity data are being collected using devices called accelerometers in Cycle 7 of the Canadian Health Measures Survey.Note 87
Did you know?
Using six cycles of the Canadian Health Measures Survey (from 2007 to 2019) researchers found that while 45% of Canadian adults get the recommended 150 minutes of physical activity per week, some people have risk factors that may keep them from meeting the recommended amount.Note 88
For example, women were less active than men, regardless of age, income, education level, family arrangement and health status. Older adults were less active than younger adults overall, but older adults with lower income, with lower education, who live alone and who smoke were less active than older adults without these risk factors. Younger Canadians were more active than older adults, but those with children in the household were less active than younger Canadians without children.
Did you know?
Based on data from the 2019 Canadian Armed Forces Health Survey, less than half (42%) of Regular Force members reported getting the recommended amount of sleep (7 to 10 hours).Note 89 Females were more likely than males to report a usual sleep duration in the recommended range (49% vs. 40%), but females were also more likely to report trouble falling or staying asleep (32% vs. 24%) and to say that sleep was not refreshing (64% vs. 58%). Difficulty staying awake was less frequently reported and did not differ between females (6%) and males (5%).
Nutrition
Maintaining a diet rich in fruits and vegetables contributes to a lower risk of chronic diseases, such as hypertension and type 2 diabetes, and a reduced risk of cancer and cardiovascular disease, which are two of the leading causes of death in Canada.Note 90Note 91
Did you know?
Fruit and vegetable consumption is part of the Quality of Life Framework for Canada, which aims to measure what matters most to Canadians, to help drive evidence-based budgeting and decision making at the federal level.Note 92
From 2015 to 2021, the percentage of adults who reported eating fruits or vegetables five or more times per day declined. However, the proportion remained stable from 2021 (21.8%) to 2023 (21.6%). In 2023, the percentage was higher in Quebec (27.1%) and lower in the Atlantic provinces (13.4% in Newfoundland and Labrador, 14.7% in Prince Edward Island, 16.7% in Nova Scotia, and 16.8% in New Brunswick) and in Ontario (19.1%). Consumption also varied by age. In 2023, the share of people who reported consuming fruits or vegetables five or more times per day was highest among Canadians aged 65 and older (24.5%) and lowest among younger adults aged 18 to 34 (17.6%). Across all age groups in 2023, a higher percentage of women reported eating fruits or vegetables five or more times per day (25.8%), compared with men (17.3%) (Chart 8.0).
Data table for Chart 8.0
| Men+ | Women+ | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Percent | 95% Confidence Interval | Percent | 95% Confidence Interval | |||
| from | to | from | to | |||
| Notes: Territorial data are not included in total population estimates. “Men+” includes men, as well as some non-binary people. “Women+” includes women, as well as some non-binary people.
Source: Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey, 2023. |
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| Total, 18 and older | 17.3 | 16.5 | 18.1 | 25.8 | 25.0 | 26.5 |
| 18 to 34 | 15.0 | 13.2 | 16.7 | 20.5 | 18.7 | 22.2 |
| 35 to 49 | 18.2 | 16.6 | 19.8 | 27.3 | 25.6 | 29.1 |
| 50 to 64 | 17.4 | 15.9 | 18.8 | 26.3 | 24.7 | 28.0 |
| 65 and older | 19.2 | 18.0 | 20.3 | 29.3 | 28.1 | 30.5 |
The percentage of adults who reported eating fruits or vegetables five or more times per day was lower in 2023 among Canadians identifying as South Asian (14.3%), Chinese (19.9%) and West Asian (14.0%), compared with the non-racialized population (23.0%).
A smaller proportion of adults in the lowest income quintile (20.4%) than in the highest (22.8%) reported eating fruits or vegetables five or more times per day. However, the gap has narrowed, as the difference was 3 percentage points in 2023, compared with 5 percentage points in 2021 (19.1% vs. 24.0%).
A higher percentage of non-immigrants (22.2%) reported consuming fruits or vegetables five or more times per day in 2023, compared with immigrants (20.2%); this difference was also found in 2021. However, in 2023, a lower percentage of immigrants who were admitted to Canada in the last 10 years reported eating fruits or vegetables five or more times per day (17.0%), compared with immigrants who were admitted more than 10 years ago (21.7%). No difference was found in 2021 (19.3% vs. 19.9%).
Breastfeeding
Breast milk offers numerous benefits: it is generally easy to digest, and its composition adapts to fulfill the nutritional needs of growing infants.Note 92 Breastfeeding also provides protection against several infectious diseases during infancy, reduces the risk of sudden infant death syndrome, and may help lower the mother’s risk of breast and ovarian cancers. For these reasons and others, both Health Canada and the World Health Organization recommend exclusively breastfeeding infants for the first six months.
In 2022, 90.3% of mothers who had had a baby in the previous five years started breastfeeding or gave breast milk (e.g., in a bottle) to their baby, a reduction from 93.8% in 2021. In 2022, a greater proportion of respondents in British Columbia (98.5%) and a lower proportion of those in Newfoundland and Labrador (71.7%) started breastfeeding or gave breast milk to their baby, compared with the rate for Canada overall (excluding the territories). Just over one-third of mothers (36.4%) exclusively breastfed their child for at least six months in 2022, down from 40.7% in 2021.
9.0 Substance use
Key findings
- In 2023, Canadian adults aged 18 and older reported the following drinking behaviours:
- Over half (54.5%) reported having zero drinks in the week before the survey.
- Proportionally more immigrants reported having zero drinks in the week before the survey (68.2%) than non-immigrants (48.5%).
- A larger share of Canadians in the highest-income households reported having seven or more drinks in the week before the survey (21.5%) than those in the lowest-income households (10.7%).
- Proportionally more men (19.3%) than women (11.1%) and more Canadians living in rural areas (19.2%) than those living in population centres (14.4%) reported having seven or more drinks in the week before the survey.
- Heavy drinking (having five or more drinks for men or four or more drinks for women, on one occasion, at least once a month in the past year) increased from 16.6% in 2021 to 21.0% in 2022, then decreased to 19.4% in 2023, among Canadians aged 18 and older.
- Daily or occasional cigarette smoking was down slightly from 12.5% in 2022 to 11.4% in 2023.
- In 2023, proportionally more adults in the lowest income quintile reported smoking cigarettes daily or occasionally (16.0%), compared with those in the highest quintile (8.2%).
- In 2023, 6.2% of Canadian adults reported vaping.
- Compared with non-racialized adults (6.5%), vaping was less common among Chinese (3.8%), South Asian (4.3%), Latin American (3.6%), Black (2.7%) and Southeast Asian (1.8%) adults and more common among Arab adults (11.8%) in 2023.
- The share of people reporting daily or almost daily cannabis use in the past 12 months decreased in 2023 (5.7%) from 2022 (6.5%).
Alcohol, tobacco and cannabis are commonly used substances that could lead to increased risk of chronic disease, including chronic liver disease, chronic respiratory disorders, certain cancers and cardiovascular diseases, and premature death.
Alcohol
Did you know?
In 2023, the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction released guidance developed by a panel of scientific experts recommending that adults aged 18 and older who drink alcohol should consider drinking less to reduce the risk of injury and violence, and many health problems that can shorten life.Note 94 This guidance presents a continuum of risk associated with weekly alcohol use:
- Zero drinks per week (no risk): Not drinking has benefits such as better health and better sleep.
- Two standard drinks or less per week (low risk): You are likely to avoid alcohol-related consequences for yourself or others at this level.
- Three to six standard drinks per week (moderate risk): The risk of developing several types of cancer, including breast and colon cancer, increases at this level.
- Seven standard drinks or more per week (increasingly high risk): The risk of heart disease or stroke increases significantly at this level.
Number of drinks in a week
In 2023, over half (54.5%) of Canadians aged 18 and older reported having zero drinks in the seven days preceding the survey, 15.2% had one or two, 15.2% had three to six and 15.1% had seven or more (Chart 9.0).
Proportionally more men (19.3%) than women (11.1%) and more Canadians living in rural areas (19.2%) than those living in population centres (14.4%) reported having seven or more drinks in the past week in 2023.
At the provincial level, a higher share of those living in Quebec reported having seven or more drinks in the past seven days (18.1%), compared with the national average (15.1%) in 2023. Conversely, a lower share of those living in New Brunswick (12.7%), Ontario (14.0%), Saskatchewan (12.5%) and Alberta (13.8%) reported having seven or more drinks in the past week.
Compared with non-immigrants (48.5%), immigrants more commonly reported having zero drinks in the past week (68.2%). A higher percentage of adults with a disability (65.1%) than those without a disability (51.9%) reported the same. Proportionally more lower-income adults than adults in the highest income quintile reported no alcohol consumption in the past week (67.3% vs. 41.7%) and fewer reported having seven or more drinks (10.7% vs. 21.5%).
Canada’s low-risk alcohol drinking guidelines currently recommend no more than 2 drinks per day or 10 drinks per week for women and no more than 3 drinks per day or 15 drinks per week for men. A larger proportion of adults in the highest household income quintile (20.4%) exceeded these guidelines, compared with those in the lowest quintile (11.1%).Note 2
Data table for Chart 9.0
| Number of drinks | Total population (excluding territories) | Men+ | Women+ | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Percent | 95% Confidence Interval | Percent | 95% Confidence Interval | Percent | 95% Confidence Interval | ||||
| from | to | from | to | from | to | ||||
| Notes: Territorial data are not included in total population estimates. Each drink represents a standard drink: 341 ml (12 ounces) of beer, cider, cooler or a ready-to-drink cocktail (5% alcohol); 142 ml (5 ounces) of wine (12% alcohol); or 43 ml (1.5 ounces) of spirits such as whisky, vodka or gin (40% alcohol). “Men+” includes men, as well as some non-binary people. “Women+” includes women, as well as some non-binary people.
Source: Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey, 2023. |
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| Zero | 54.4 | 53.7 | 55.2 | 49.9 | 48.8 | 51.0 | 58.8 | 57.8 | 59.8 |
| One to two | 15.2 | 14.7 | 15.8 | 14.9 | 14.1 | 15.7 | 15.5 | 14.8 | 16.2 |
| Three to six | 15.2 | 14.7 | 15.7 | 15.9 | 15.1 | 16.6 | 14.6 | 13.9 | 15.3 |
| Seven or more | 15.1 | 14.6 | 15.7 | 19.3 | 18.5 | 20.1 | 11.1 | 10.5 | 11.7 |
Heavy drinking
The proportion of Canadians aged 18 and older who reported heavy drinking remained stable from 2015 to 2019, ranging from 19% to 20%, before falling in 2020 (17.7%). A further decline was observed in 2021 (16.6%), followed by an increase in 2022 (21.0%) and another decrease in 2023 (19.4%) (Chart 9.1). In 2023, heavy drinking did not differ between 18- to 34-year-old men (24.8%) and women (21.8%). However, with increasing age, a higher percentage of men were heavy drinkers compared with women (24.1% vs. 16.4% for 50- to 64-year-olds).
In 2023, proportionally more adults whose sexual orientation is lesbian, gay, bisexual or another orientation that is not heterosexual (LGB+) reported heavy drinking (25.3%), compared with heterosexual adults (19.5%). This trend was not observed in 2021 or 2022. Of note, the share of LGB+ women who were heavy drinkers (25.9%) was higher than that of their heterosexual counterparts (16.4%), whereas no sexual orientation difference was observed among men. A smaller share of adults with a self-reported disability were heavy drinkers (13.4%), compared with those without disabilities (20.3%).
Proportionally fewer immigrants than non-immigrants reported heavy drinking in 2021 (7.8% vs. 20.0%), 2022 (10.2% vs. 25.4%) and 2023 (9.4% vs. 23.4%) (Chart 9.3), a trend that has been seen since 2015. Also, a higher prevalence of heavy drinking was reported among non-racialized Canadians (22.9%), compared with all other racialized groups (apart from the Korean and Japanese groups, where there was no difference). In 2023, heavy drinking was more prevalent among people in the highest household income quintile (26.6%), compared with the lowest (14.5%) (Chart 9.2).
Tobacco use and vaping
Tobacco use
The proportion of daily or occasional cigarette smokers declined from 15.7% in 2019 to 12.7% in 2021, remained stable at 12.5% in 2022 and decreased again to 11.4% in 2023 (Chart 9.1). The decline in 2023 was observed for both men (13.4%) and women (9.5%) compared with 2022 (14.4% and 10.6%, respectively). Although smoking was less common among women than men and among younger adults (aged 18 to 34) than older adults, it was more common among LGB+ women (12.5%) and LGB+ younger adults (13.0%), compared with their heterosexual counterparts (9.1% and 9.4%, respectively).
The share of Canadians in the lowest income quintile who reported smoking cigarettes daily or occasionally (16.0%) was nearly twice as high as that of Canadians in the highest quintile (8.2%), in 2023 (Chart 9.2).
In 2022, a greater share of Canadians in the territories reported smoking cigarettes, compared with Canada overall. Proportionally fewer Canadians in British Columbia and more Canadians in Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, and Quebec reported smoking cigarettes in 2022 and 2023.
From 2021 to 2023, the share of immigrants who were daily or occasional smokers was lower than that of non-immigrants, and no difference was found by period of immigration (Chart 9.3). Smoking was higher among non-racialized populations (12.7%), compared with all other racialized groups (except Arab and West Asian, where there was no difference). Proportionally more Canadians with a disability (17.1%) reported smoking, compared with those without disabilities (10.9%).
Vaping
In 2023, 6.2% of Canadian adults had used an e-cigarette or vaped in the previous 30 days, a proportion that was stable after a previous increase from 4.5% in 2021 to 5.7% in 2022 (Chart 9.1). Vaping prevalence was higher in Alberta (7.7%) and lower in Ontario (5.4%), compared with the average across all provinces in 2023.
In 2022 and 2023, vaping was most common among 18- to 34-year-old adults, about 13% of whom had used an e-cigarette or vaped in the previous 30 days, up from 10.0% in 2021. Proportionally more men (7.4%) than women (5.0%) reported vaping in 2023, and the difference was most notable among 18- to 34-year-olds (16.1% for men vs. 10.3% for women). Vaping was higher among gay or lesbian (10.3%) and bisexual or pansexual (12.1%) adults, compared with heterosexual adults (5.8%) in 2023. More LGB+ adults aged 18 to 34 (13.4%) and 35 to 49 (17.4%) vaped, compared with their heterosexual counterparts (5.8% and 12.8%, respectively).
In 2023, vaping was less common among immigrants (3.7%) than non-immigrants (7.0%). Among immigrants, vaping was lower among those who were admitted to Canada more than 10 years ago (3.3%), compared with more recent immigrants (5.4%). Compared with non-racialized adults (6.5%), vaping was less common among Chinese (3.8%), South Asian (4.3%), Latin American (3.6%), Black (2.7%) and Southeast Asian (1.8%) adults in 2023. However, a higher percentage of Arab adults (11.8%) reported vaping.
Cannabis
Daily or almost daily use of cannabis is strongly associated with adverse health outcomes, particularly related to mental health.Note 95Note 96 Since information on daily or almost daily cannabis use in the past 12 months began to be collected annually in 2019, the prevalence has remained stable (5.7% to 5.8%) until 2022, when it increased to 6.5%. It then decreased in 2023 back to 5.7% (Chart 9.1). Proportionally more young adults aged 18 to 34 reported cannabis use (8.1%), compared with all older age groups. Daily or almost daily cannabis use was higher among men across all age groups, particularly men aged 18 to 34 (9.8%), compared with women of the same age (6.2%). The share of bisexual or pansexual Canadians who reported using cannabis daily or almost daily was nearly three times as high as that of heterosexual Canadians in 2022 (18.1% vs. 6.2%) and 2023 (15.5% vs. 5.3%). Cannabis use was also greater among gay or lesbian adults (11.8%) than heterosexual adults (5.3%) in 2023. The same year, cannabis use was higher among LGB+ groups than heterosexual people across all age groups (except those aged 65 and older). Notably, cannabis use was almost 9 percentage points higher among LGB+ young adults aged 18 to 34 compared with their heterosexual counterparts (16.0% vs. 7.1%).
Differences by income have persisted since 2019, with proportionally more Canadians in the lowest household income quintile reporting daily or almost daily cannabis use, compared with those in the highest (6.8% vs. 4.9% in 2023) (Chart 9.2).
In 2022, people in Yukon (13.8%), the Northwest Territories (14.5%) and Nunavut (29.3%) used cannabis daily or almost daily at more than double the rate for Canada overall (6.5%). In 2023, daily or almost daily cannabis use was lower in Quebec (2.9%) and higher in Nova Scotia (8.2%), New Brunswick (6.6%) and British Columbia (6.1%), compared with Canada overall (excluding the territories).
Proportionally fewer immigrant adults reported using cannabis daily or almost daily compared with non-immigrants in 2021 (2.0% vs. 7.2%), 2022 (2.1% vs. 8.4%) and 2023 (1.6% vs. 7.5%). In 2023, among immigrants, a greater share of those who were admitted to Canada more than 10 years ago reported using cannabis daily or almost daily, compared with those who were admitted to Canada in the last 10 years (1.8% vs. 0.9%) (Chart 9.3).
Cannabis use was lower among the South Asian (1.9%), Chinese (1.1%), Black (4.5%), Filipino (1.4%) and Latin American (2.2%) groups, compared with the non-racialized group (6.7%).
Proportionally more Canadians with a disability (11.5%) reported using cannabis in 2023, compared with those without disabilities (5.0%).
Data table for Chart 9.1
| 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Percent | 95% Confidence Interval | Percent | 95% Confidence Interval | Percent | 95% Confidence Interval | ||||
| from | to | from | to | from | to | ||||
| Notes: Territorial data are not included in annual estimates. Heavy drinking is defined as having five or more drinks for men aged 18 and older, or four or more drinks for women, on one occasion, at least once a month in the past year. Daily smokers are those who reported smoking cigarettes every day (excluding alternative smoking products), while occasional smokers are those who reported smoking cigarettes occasionally. This includes former daily smokers who now smoke occasionally.
Sources: Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey, 2021 to 2023; Table 13-10-0905-01 Health indicator statistics, annual estimates. |
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| Heavy drinking | 16.6 | 15.9 | 17.2 | 21.0 | 20.5 | 21.6 | 19.4 | 18.8 | 20.0 |
| Current smoking, daily or occasional |
12.7 | 12.1 | 13.2 | 12.5 | 12.0 | 12.9 | 11.4 | 11.0 | 11.9 |
| E-cigarette or vaping device use, past 30 days |
4.5 | 4.2 | 4.9 | 5.7 | 5.4 | 6.1 | 6.2 | 5.8 | 6.5 |
| Cannabis use, daily or almost daily |
5.8 | 5.4 | 6.2 | 6.5 | 6.1 | 6.9 | 5.7 | 5.4 | 6.0 |
Data table for Chart 9.2
| Quintile 1 (lowest income) | Quintile 2 | Quintile 3 | Quintile 4 | Quintile 5 (highest income) | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Percent | 95% Conifdence Interval | Percent | 95% Conifdence Interval | Percent | 95% Conifdence Interval | Percent | 95% Conifdence Interval | Percent | 95% Conifdence Interval | ||||||
| from | to | from | to | from | to | from | to | from | to | ||||||
| Notes: Territorial data are not included in annual estimates. Heavy drinking is defined as having five or more drinks for men aged 18 and older, or four or more drinks for women, on one occasion, at least once a month in the past year. Daily smokers are those who reported smoking cigarettes every day (excluding alternative smoking products), while occasional smokers are those who reported smoking cigarettes occasionally. This includes former daily smokers who now smoke occasionally.
Source: Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey, 2023; Table 13-10-0906-01 Health indicator statistics, annual estimates, by household income quintile and highest level of education. |
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| Heavy drinking | 14.5 | 13.2 | 15.9 | 16.4 | 15.2 | 17.6 | 18.2 | 17.0 | 19.4 | 21.5 | 20.1 | 22.8 | 26.2 | 24.8 | 27.7 |
| Current smoking, daily or occasional |
16.0 | 14.9 | 17.2 | 13.1 | 12.1 | 14.1 | 11.1 | 10.1 | 12.2 | 8.6 | 7.8 | 9.4 | 8.2 | 7.4 | 9.1 |
| E-cigarette or vaping device use, past 30 days |
6.8 | 5.9 | 7.8 | 6.7 | 5.8 | 7.5 | 5.7 | 4.9 | 6.6 | 5.6 | 4.8 | 6.3 | 6.0 | 5.2 | 6.9 |
| Cannabis use, daily or almost daily |
6.8 | 6.1 | 7.6 | 6.6 | 5.8 | 7.3 | 5.7 | 5.0 | 6.4 | 4.6 | 3.9 | 5.2 | 4.9 | 4.1 | 5.7 |
Data table for Chart 9.3
| Immigrants | Immigrants who were admitted to Canada more than 10 years ago | Immigrants who were admitted to Canada in the last 10 years | Non-immigrants | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Percent | 95% Confidence Interval | Percent | 95% Confidence Interval | Percent | 95% Confidence Interval | Percent | 95% Confidence Interval | |||||
| from | to | from | to | from | to | from | to | |||||
| Notes: Territorial data are not included in annual estimates. Heavy drinking is defined as having five or more drinks for men aged 18 and older, or four or more drinks for women, on one occasion, at least once a month in the past year. Daily smokers are those who reported smoking cigarettes every day (excluding alternative smoking products), while occasional smokers are those who reported smoking cigarettes occasionally. This includes former daily smokers who now smoke occasionally. Immigrants include people who are, or who have ever been, landed immigrants or permanent residents. They have been granted the right to live in Canada permanently by immigration authorities. Immigrants who have obtained Canadian citizenship by naturalization are included in this category. Immigrantswho were admitted to Canada in the last 10 years include people who first obtained landed immigrant or permanent resident status on the survey date or in the 10 years before. Immigrants who were admitted to Canada more than 10 years ago include people who first obtained landed immigrant or permanent resident status more than 10 years prior to the survey date. Non-immigrants include people who are Canadian citizens by birth.
Source: Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey, 2023. |
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| Heavy drinking | 9.4 | 8.4 | 10.3 | 9.5 | 8.3 | 10.6 | 8.4 | 6.6 | 10.1 | 23.4 | 22.7 | 24.1 |
| Current smoking, daily or occasional |
7.8 | 6.9 | 8.6 | 7.9 | 6.9 | 8.9 | 7.6 | 5.8 | 9.4 | 12.9 | 12.4 | 13.4 |
| E-cigarette or vaping device use, past 30 days |
3.7 | 3.0 | 4.4 | 3.3 | 2.5 | 4.1 | 5.4 | 3.7 | 7.0 | 7.0 | 6.6 | 7.4 |
| Cannabis use, daily or almost daily |
1.6 | 1.3 | 1.9 | 1.8 | 1.4 | 2.3 | 0.9 | 0.5 | 1.4 | 7.5 | 7.1 | 7.9 |
Opioids, stimulants and illicit drugs
According to the 2022 Mental Health and Access to Care Survey, 7% of Canadians aged 15 and older reported having used an illicit drug or having used a medicine non-medically at least once in the past 12 months. This included substances such as club drugs, heroin, solvents and other illicit drugs, and the non-medical use of prescription sedatives, analgesics or stimulants. The proportion of adults aged 44 and younger (9.6%) reporting drug use was about 2.3 times that of adults aged 45 and older (4.2%). About 7.2% of the people who reported having used drugs met the diagnostic criteria for a substance use disorder.
Did you know?
The Canadian Wastewater Survey has been regularly collecting wastewater samples from municipalities across the country since 2019 to test for various drugs, such as stimulants. Stimulants include controlled drugs like cocaine (“coke”), methamphetamine (“crystal meth”), MDMA (“ecstasy”) and amphetamines (e.g., “speed” or “uppers”). Amphetamines are also available by prescription to treat conditions such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. The survey found that amphetamine levels rose in the wastewater of several Canadian cities before 2023 but stabilized in 2023.Note 97 Conversely, cocaine levels continued to increase into 2023.
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