B.C. RESIDENTS USING MORE DRUGS, ALCOHOL: UVIC STUDY

Alcohol consumption in B.C. is rising faster than any other province
in Canada and young adults are topping the charts, according to a
recent study released by UVic.

UVic's Centre for Addictions Research B.C. (CARBC), which conducted
the study, monitors alcohol and other drug-related trends in B.C. The
data the group collected shows that while alcohol consumption has
increased by nine per cent in Canada since 1998, it has increased by
14 per cent in B.C.

CARBC Senior Policy Analyst Gerald Thomas says there may be a few
reasons alcohol consumption is rising faster in B.C. than the rest of
the country.

"Basically, one of the major reasons is because access has increased
in B.C.," said Thomas. "In the last five or so years, the number of
liquor outlets has increased dramatically."

Thomas also said income plays a large role and, in B.C., incomes have
been increasing since 1998.

However, with increased consumption comes increased alcohol-related
harms. And, according to Thomas, these rise faster than
consumption.

"Its complicated but, in general, we know that when consumption goes
up, harms actually go up as well, usually a little bit faster than
consumption," he said. "We are pretty sure that, unless something
dramatic happens that shifts the way people relate to alcohol, harms
will go up."

These harms are primarily associated with risky drinking, of which the
young adult population (ages 19-25) is one of the biggest offenders.

"The young adult population ... that's the heavy drinking population,"
said Thomas. "They really do drink in quite risky ways."

Thomas noted that harms to the individual may seem relatively small,
but it is when these harms are seen within the larger population, they
are cause for concern.

"By the time you factor that across 20 million people who drink in a
year [in Canada], even though the risk is small you get a lot of
people having problems," he said.

Young women used to drink less heavily than men, but Thomas says that
gap is closing. Between 2003 and 2008, the number of women aged 20 to
34 who drank heavily increased more than any population - from 17 per
cent to 20 per cent.

"We don't have a good explanation for this, but there are some
possibilities," said Thomas.

Whereas, in the past, drinking among women was frowned upon, Thomas
said it has become much more socially acceptable. He also said that
beverage advertising is now being catered more toward women.

"I think a lot of people in their 20s, that's what they do for
recreation," said Thomas. "[But] you don't want a life that's built
around getting drunk or getting high. Save them as treats; save them
as special occasions."

For more information on risky drinking and alcohol related harms,
visit CARBC's website at carbc.ca or visit their affiliated
organization, Here to Help, at heretohelp.bc.ca/understand/alcohol-drugs
for fact sheets on alcohol and other drugs.