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Table DLO-5. Drug law offences related to drug supply, 2003–11
Part (ii) Methodological notes
| Country | Notes | |
|---|---|---|
| Belgium | Between 2003-2005, data refer to the number of offences and each offence is represented as one separate record in the database. | |
| Since 2006 data refer to the number of offences and only the main offence: someone can have more than one drug in his/her possession; not only the main substance is mentioned. Offences without a specified substance are included. These changes are likely to affect comparability across time. | ||
| Bulgaria | From 2001 to 2004 offences for 'use and trafficking' were reported twice, in both the category 'use/possession' and in the category 'dealing/trafficking'. From 2005 onwards these offences are included only in their own specific category and include drugs and precursors related to supply law offences. This change is likely to affect comparability across time. | |
| Czech Republic | Initial reports for ascertained drug related offences and persons prosecuted for primary drug related crime according to Penal Code and drug-related misdemeanours are included. | |
| Estonia | Since 2007, data are provided by a different source and include both the number of offenders and the number of offences. In addition, the delivery or distribution of narcotic substances in prisons were reported as drug-related crime for the first time. In the past only the number of main offences was provided. This change is likely to affect comparability across time. | |
| Ireland | In 2007 responsibility for reporting crime data transferred to a different agency. The new agency reassessed the data for 2005 and 2006 on the basis of information held in a new Garda IT system. This change is likely to affect comparability of the data across time. | |
| Spain | Before 2003, an offence was recorded for every drug mentioned in a use-related report. For example, if cannabis and heroin were both mentioned in a report, two offences were recorded, one for each drug. From 2003 onwards, only the total number of use-related reports were recorded. For example, if cannabis and heroin were both mentioned in a report, a single offence was recorded. | |
| Latvia | Since 2007, data are provided by a different source, providing number of offenders and number of offences. Previously only data on the number of offenders was reported. 2007 also marks a large increase in the number of offenders reported. This change is likely to affect comparability across time. | |
| Luxembourg | Calculated on arrests for presumed offences against the 1973 drug law. | |
| Netherlands | Offences for possession with intent of supply are not included in this series. | |
| Austria | 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', | |
| Romania | Since 2008 data refer to persons convicted under/against national drug legislation (Law no.143/2000) | |
| Slovakia | Up to and including 2005, the unit reported was suspected offenders. No data is available for 2006, during which year a new criminal code was introduced. From 2007 onwards, the unit reported is offenders convicted according to the new criminal code. This change is likely to affect comparability across time. | |
| Finland | Drug law offences related to drug supply include number of aggravated narcotics offences (narcotics offences usually involve wholesale level trafficking of illegal drugs or possession of a dangerous quantity of particularly dangerous drugs), and number of narcotics offences related to production, cultivation, import, export, selling, distribution, and possession. | |
| United Kingdom | Previous data has been on an offender (person basis). Since 2005 data are based on an all drug offence basis, except for Northern Ireland, which continues to be on a principal drug (i.e person) basis. | |
| Croatia | Since 2006, the statistical unit considered is criminal drug law offences (persons arrested in previous years, 2001 to 2004). This change is likely to affect comparability across time. | |
| Turkey | 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. |