WA Parliamentary Question on Notice regarding drug-related offences, non-drug offences with drug-related factors, and youth drug offenders, with data provided from 2021-22 to 2025-26 YTD.

AnsweredQoN 497Legislative Council
Asked
21 August 2025
Portfolio
Police

QuestionView source ↗

(1) For each financial year since 2021–22, how many charges laid by Western Australian (WA) Police were directly drug-related (e.g. possession, trafficking, manufacture)? (2) How many non-drug offences (e.g. burglary, assault, theft) recorded by WA Police in each financial year since 2021–22 were flagged as drug-related contributing factors? (3) For each financial year since 2021–22, how many youth offenders were charged with drug-related offences?

AnswerView source ↗

Answered
14 October 2025
Responded by
Minister for the Environment representing the Minister for Police
Response time
7 days
(1)    Table 1. Charges laid under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1981 , including attempted and administrative offences, by financial year:
Financial Year
2021-22
2022-23
2023-24
2024-25
2025-26 YTD*
Charges
16,023
18,732
21,822
26,145
6,519
*2025-26 YTD reflects between 1 July 2025 to 18 September 2025, inclusive.
(2)    Table 2. Offences (excluding Drug Offences) flagged as drug-related, by financial year:
Financial Year
2021-22
2022-23
2023-24
2024-25
2025-26 YTD*
Offences
7,699
9,560
14,533
18,231
4,020
*2025-26 YTD reflects between 1 July 2025 to 18 September 2025, inclusive.
(3)    Table 3. Young offenders charged under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1981 , by financial year:
Financial Year
2021-22
2022-23
2023-24
2024-25
2025-26 YTD*
Young offenders
272
324
325
334
72
*2025-26 YTD reflects between 1 July 2025 to 18 September 2025, inclusive.

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