News (Media Awareness Project) - CN BC: Drug, Alcohol Abuse Lower Than Average |
| Title: | CN BC: Drug, Alcohol Abuse Lower Than Average |
| Published On: | 2007-08-23 |
| Source: | Province, The (CN BC) |
| Fetched On: | 2008-08-16 19:22:59 |
DRUG, ALCOHOL ABUSE LOWER THAN AVERAGE
City's 12.57-Per-Cent Rate Is Less Than Canada's
VANCOUVER - The level of drug and alcohol abuse in Vancouver is lower
than the Canadian average, says a study by the Centre for Addiction
and Mental Health.
About one in 10 Canadians has a substance-use problem, which the
study defines as anyone who says their use of alcohol or other drugs
interferes significantly with their life.
The study found more drug and alcohol problems in mid-sized cities
than in big cities or rural areas.
"From my perspective, the interest that's been generated about the
data so far . . . I think it's maybe challenging some important
preconceived notions about large, urban centres," said John Cairney,
a co-author of the report. "People can have those problems and not be
visible to the external community."
Vancouver's drug and alcohol abuse rate is 10.76 per cent, higher
than Toronto at 7.76 and Montreal at 8.08, but lower than the 12.57
per cent average for other metropolitan areas.
B.C.'s 12.85-per-cent average is higher than the 11-per-cent national rate.
The urban corridor between Toronto and Montreal came in relatively
low compared to the rest of the country, with Alberta, Saskatchewan,
Manitoba and Nova Scotia joining B.C. in the worse-than-average category.
While age, sex, employment and health are factors that could help
explain the difference, they wouldn't account for such a wide gap --
more than five per cent, for example -- between Toronto and the
average for medium-sized cities.
Cairney said high levels of immigration to the biggest cities could
also affect the numbers, because immigrants tend to be healthier and
some immigrant communities reject alcohol and drug use.
People who are homeless due to drug and alcohol addictions likely
wouldn't be counted in the study.
"Those individuals are likely not going to even get into a StatsCan
study in the first place because they're either not going to respond
or they're not going to be available to Statistics Canada when
they're collecting this data," said Cairney.
City's 12.57-Per-Cent Rate Is Less Than Canada's
VANCOUVER - The level of drug and alcohol abuse in Vancouver is lower
than the Canadian average, says a study by the Centre for Addiction
and Mental Health.
About one in 10 Canadians has a substance-use problem, which the
study defines as anyone who says their use of alcohol or other drugs
interferes significantly with their life.
The study found more drug and alcohol problems in mid-sized cities
than in big cities or rural areas.
"From my perspective, the interest that's been generated about the
data so far . . . I think it's maybe challenging some important
preconceived notions about large, urban centres," said John Cairney,
a co-author of the report. "People can have those problems and not be
visible to the external community."
Vancouver's drug and alcohol abuse rate is 10.76 per cent, higher
than Toronto at 7.76 and Montreal at 8.08, but lower than the 12.57
per cent average for other metropolitan areas.
B.C.'s 12.85-per-cent average is higher than the 11-per-cent national rate.
The urban corridor between Toronto and Montreal came in relatively
low compared to the rest of the country, with Alberta, Saskatchewan,
Manitoba and Nova Scotia joining B.C. in the worse-than-average category.
While age, sex, employment and health are factors that could help
explain the difference, they wouldn't account for such a wide gap --
more than five per cent, for example -- between Toronto and the
average for medium-sized cities.
Cairney said high levels of immigration to the biggest cities could
also affect the numbers, because immigrants tend to be healthier and
some immigrant communities reject alcohol and drug use.
People who are homeless due to drug and alcohol addictions likely
wouldn't be counted in the study.
"Those individuals are likely not going to even get into a StatsCan
study in the first place because they're either not going to respond
or they're not going to be available to Statistics Canada when
they're collecting this data," said Cairney.
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