Sharp rise in BC drinking rates
UNIVERSITY OF VICTORIA MEDIA TIP & LEAD
Dec. 17, 2015
BC has seen the largest annual jump in alcohol consumption in more than a decade, a rise equivalent to 15 bottles of beer per person per year. The average British Columbian now drinks a volume of alcohol equivalent to 528 bottles of beer or 100 bottles of wine per year.
“This increase coincides with reforms to the BC liquor laws introduced in early 2014,” says Tim Stockwell, director of University of Victoria’s Centre for Addictions Research (CARBC).
In 2013, close to 24,500 hospital admissions and 1,281 deaths in BC were attributed to alcohol-related causes. According to analyses and modeling done by CARBC for the Ministry of Health, the impact of this 2.9 per cent uptick in consumption will increase that annual toll by an additional estimated 655 hospital admissions and 31 deaths.
An infographic is available for download here.
Media contacts:
Dr. Tim Stockwell (UVic’s Centre for Addictions Research) at 250-472-5445, or timstock@uvic.ca
Suzanne Ahearne (University Communications + Marketing) at 250-721-7636 or sahearne@uvic.ca