Limburg province, on the border with the Netherlands, had the highest number of recorded drug possession cases at schools in 2022 out of all Belgian provinces.
A total of 75 cases were recorded in Limburg. East Flanders and Antwerp followed closely with 72 and 66 cases respectively, according to data requested by CD&V party member Franky Demon from his colleague, Minister of the Interior Annelies Verlinden.
Police noted 418 total instances of drug possession at schools throughout 2022, an increase from 232 recorded in the previous year. However, Demon warns against direct comparison due to the prevalence of distance learning in 2020 and 2021 as a consequence of the Covid-19 pandemic.
A comparison with the pre-pandemic 2019 figures, which totalled 533, showed a slight improvement, but for Demon "every incident is one too many."
Complete data for 2023 is yet unavailable. The first trimester of the previous year saw 134 cases, suggesting a consistent rate compared to 2022.
Secondary schools accounted for the overwhelming majority of drug possession cases, with cannabis featuring in 305 incidents.
Demon suspects this low number in the capital could be due to a higher "dark number" and strategic police resource allocation – factors that may account for the lower figures.
