Backgrounder: Alcohol Nation's Favourite, and Most Dangerous, Drug

According to the University of Victoria’s Centre for Addictions Research of BC (CARBC) report “Patterns of Risky Alcohol Use in British Columbia and Canada: Results of the 2004 Canadian Addictions Survey,” most people do not consistently drink in a way that put themselves at increased risk of cancer, liver disease and other chronic illnesses. However, a substantial number of drinkers put themselves at risk of acute harm through occasional bouts of excess:

• about 80 per cent of B.C. residents over 15 drink alcohol;
• half of those who drink, at least occasionally drink at levels that put them at risk of short-term harm such as accidents or falls;
• and almost 30 per cent of all adult males in B.C. regularly drink in a way that risks either short-term or long-term harm.

These statistics are important in regulating the availability of this substance which, through problematic use, contributes to over 5,000 premature deaths each year in . CARBC plans to develop a variety of tools that will help British Columbians better assess their own drinking and provide tips for enjoying alcohol in a low-risk way. These will include new low risk drinking guidelines for B.C., as well as an “Alcohol Check-Up” individuals can use to see how their drinking pattern compares to guidelines. Other materials will include tips on how to quit or cut down on drinking and how to host a low-risk party.

The centre is also working to present communities with evidence-based options on reducing the harm from alcohol use. These include: reforms of alcohol pricing and taxation so that lower alcohol content beverages are cheaper than high-strength—which at present they often aren’t; brief assessment and advice by family doctors and other primary health care workers; improved drinking and driving legislation and enforcement; restrictions on late-night operating hours of establishments with a record of violent incidents.

CARBC was established by an endowment from the B.C. Addictions Foundation in the spring of 2003. Its mission is to facilitate population health research on the understanding, prevention, and treatment of addictions. UVic is the lead agency for this provincial research and applications network which includes UBC, UNBC, Thompson Rivers University and SFU, as well as government and community agencies responsible for public policy and service delivery. CARBC has recently undertaken a contract with the World Health Organization to update international guidelines for member countries who wish to monitor alcohol consumption and related risks.

 

According to the recently released B.C. Ministry of Health Services document, Every Door is the Right Door, approximately 120,000 British Columbians have a high probability of alcohol dependence and another 224,000 have some indication of dependence. Within that group an estimated 173,000 to 200,000 British Columbians experience problems in some area of their life as a result of alcohol consumption.