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Table DLO-4. Number of drug law offences related to drug use or possession for use, 1999 to 2005

Country1999200020012002200320042005
Belgium(1)17146122221345918514174802250324227
Bulgaria(7) 5680575454683105
Czech Republic 98139166209202153166
Denmark 16764
Germany 148650163523162740170629177494200378194444
Ireland 4883648570096038480550657432
Greece 128251040013186
Spain(2)7656481302112270121834122634150193173096
France 8003783385716678125490630101278
Italy 41091434944506440456
Cyprus 224263341385
Latvia 550406
Luxembourg(3)42472729174463
Malta 301303306505516
Netherlands 64946347
Austria(4)15090157791893619559192902258822733
Poland 1297519956272293616641055
Portugal(5)8030755156375580610053706260
Slovenia 43524835412329442575
Finland 7240921793109393
Sweden 8324103011118712418134941438816228
United Kingdom 1083539287792050102457105308107963
Turkey(6) 3951356834546350
Norway 31113651445942293970

Notes:

 Data were not available for the unlisted EU Member States. 

 For definitions of reports for drug law offences, refer to Drug law offences – methods and definitions.  

 (1) In 2000-2002, data refer to number of persons (only the main offence is counted), although the same person could be counted several times if arrested several times during the same year. Before 2000 and since 2003, data refer to number of offences (each offence is represented as one separate record in the database). These changes are likely to affect comparability across time. 

 (2) Before 2003, data refer to the total number of use-related reports for different drugs (if different drugs were mentioned for the same offence, then the offence was mentioned several times); from 2003 included, data refer to the total of use-related reports (independently of the number of drugs mentioned); this change is likely to affect comparability across time. 

 (3) Calculated on arrests for presumed offences against the 1973 drug law. 

 (4) The law only distinguishes between small and large quantities. Thus cases of possession and small-scale trafficking have been considered as 'use/possession for use' and cases of possession and trafficking of large quantities as 'dealing/trafficking'. 

 (5) Since the decriminalisation of drug use/possession for use in July 2001, such offences are reported through a different monitoring system; although data from the latter are taken into consideration here (from mid-2001 and onwards), caution is required when comparing data before and after 2001 (2001 data should be viewed with even more caution as the new information system on offences for drug use/possession was being tested for the first time). 

 (6) 2002 data refer only to police data, while after 2002 data refer to all data reported by the main prosecuting authorities (police, gendarmerie, customs); this change is likely to affect comparability across time. 

 (7) There has been a change in methodology between 2001-2004 and 2005; it is likely to affect comparability across time. In 2001-2004 offences for 'use and trafficking' were including twice: in the category 'use/possession' and in the category 'dealing/trafficking', whereas since 2005 these offences are included under a third specific category.  

Sources:

 Reitox national focal points. 

Page last updated: Wednesday, 07 November 2007