A new report by CBC Ottawa and Radio-Canada has revealed that hard drugs such as cocaine, heroin, and ecstasy are being openly advertised on social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram. The investigation found hundreds of ads leading to over a dozen websites where the drugs can be purchased using credit cards or electronic transfers and are then delivered via Canada Post.
An anonymous buyer described the ease of the process, comparing it to shopping on Amazon. The buyer, who had previously struggled with cocaine addiction, said seeing such ads daily on social media makes it difficult to stay away from drugs.
Meta, the owner of Facebook and Instagram, stated that content attempting to buy, sell, or trade illicit drugs is not allowed on its platforms. The company said it removed flagged ads and pages, disabled the ad accounts, and restricted the account admins from running future ads.
Canada Post assured that when its postal inspectors confirm an item contains an illegal drug, it is removed from the mail stream and turned over to the police. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police said it is actively targeting individuals and networks profiting from the online sale of illicit substances.
