Use a drug of dependence (other than cannabis)

Legislation: Drugs, Poisons and Controlled Substances Act 1981 (Vic) s 75(b)

Maximum penalty: 1 year imprisonment, 30 penalty units or both

Period: 1 July 2019 to 30 June 2024

Jurisdiction: higher courts

On SACStat, a charge is a single count of an offence
On SACStat, a case is a collection of one or more charges sentenced at a hearing

*Note: unavailable options have under 10 cases

Charge data

In the higher courts, 43 charges of use a drug of dependence (other than cannabis) were sentenced in the five years to 30 June 2024. The most common sentence for a charge of this offence was imprisonment (69.8% or 30 charges).

On SACStat, a charge is a single count of a sentenced offence. Charge data is most useful in understanding how a specific crime is usually sentenced.

Case data

In the higher courts, use a drug of dependence (other than cannabis) was the principal proven offence (the most serious crime in the case) in fewer than 10 cases in the five years to 30 June 2024. Therefore, outcomes for cases are not given for this offence.

Figure 1: Sentencing outcomes for all charges of use a drug of dependence (other than cannabis)

Number: 43 charges

Bar graph showing sentence types imposed for charges of use a drug of dependence (other than cannabis)

See Table 1 in the Excel data file for the data in this graph.

Figure 6: Sentencing outcomes for all charges of use a drug of dependence (other than cannabis) by financial year

Number: 43 charges

Stacked bar graph showing sentences imposed each year for charges of use a drug of dependence (other than cannabis)

See Table 6 in the Excel data file for the data in this graph.

Figure 7: Number of charges of use a drug of dependence (other than cannabis) by financial year

Number: 43 charges

Bar graph showing the number of charges each year for the offence of use a drug of dependence (other than cannabis)

See Table 7 in the Excel data file for the data in this graph.