MORE ADULTS DRINKING DAILY, SMOKING POT, STUDY FINDS

Daily alcohol consumption, marijuana smoking and psychological
distress rates among adults are on the rise, potentially troubling
trends that could have major health implications, a new report warns.

The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto released a
survey Monday that found a growing number of Ontario adults are
drinking alcohol every day, using cannabis and reporting symptoms
associated with poor mental health.

The survey also found that a growing number of young people are
drinking and driving, a serious concern that warrants attention,
according to the report. While fewer than 8 per cent of 18- to
29-year-olds reported driving within an hour of having two drinks in
2005, that rate rose to nearly 13 per cent in 2009.

"We do see some concerning trends," said Robert Mann, senior scientist
at CAMH.

One of the most troubling aspects of the report concerns alcohol use,
Dr. Mann said. It found the number of adults who report drinking
alcohol every day rose from 5.3 per cent in 2002 to more than 9 per
cent in 2009. The average number of drinks consumed in a week also
rose from 3 to 4.6 drinks.

Although having a drink every day is not necessarily a sign of a major
problem, it does increase an individual's susceptibility to
alcohol-related disease, Dr. Mann said. But the rising rates of
alcohol consumption also likely means that people who were already
moderate or heavy drinkers are consuming more alcohol than before.

"I think that it has been and continues to be a major public health
problem," he said.

It's unclear why more people are drinking more often. It's possible
that the economic downturn in 2009, when the survey was taken, drove
more people to drink, Dr. Mann said.

Even so, in recent years there has been a growing tendency toward
higher alcohol consumption in Canada and elsewhere around the world.
The rise seen in the CAMH report could be part of that broader trend.

Despite the increasing number of daily drinkers and problem drinking
habits, the issue has received scant attention in Canada, Dr. Mann
said.

"We seem not to recognize the dimensions of the problem because it
gets lost in the fact [that] most of us really are moderate drinkers
and consume alcohol moderately," he said. "The dialogue seems to be
mainly about how we can make more money out of alcohol and how can we
make it more accessible."

In Ontario, for instance, the provincial government is adopting new
rules that will allow people to drink outside of beer tents at events
and festivals, as well as allow alcohol to be served at weddings and
events for one hour longer, until 2 a.m.

The province has said it will continue to enforce good behaviour and
responsible drinking. But the lack of attention paid to problem
drinking by governments and public health officials is worrisome, Dr.
Mann said.

"There's really hardly any attention to the health consequences, which
I find surprising."

The report also found troubling patterns when it comes to marijuana.
The number of Ontario residents of all ages who report smoking
marijuana increased from 8.7 in 1996 to 13.3 per cent in 2009.

The biggest increases were among adults. Among those aged 18 to 29,
marijuana smoking rates doubled from about 18 per cent in 1996 to
about 36 per cent in 2009.

That's a concern because marijuana use is also associated with
psychological problems and can increases risks to people who are
predisposed to schizophrenia, the report said.

At the same time, nearly 15 per cent of Ontario adults report having
symptoms linked to elevated psychological distress, while 6 per cent
say they have poor mental health. Those between ages 30 and 39 were
most likely to report mental health problems.

Dr. Mann said the heightened prevalence in that age group could be
linked to the economic downturn, during which many lost their jobs or
experienced financial problems.

Some positive notes contained in the report are that binge drinking
among adults has dropped, with the most significant decrease seen
among young adults. At the same time, the number of adult smokers in
Ontario declined from about 20 per cent in 2008 to 18.6 per cent in
2009.

Overall, however, the trends are worrying and mean that more attention
needs to be paid to issues related to mental health and substance use
and abuse.

"I think the indicators that we have are telling us that [these
trends] remain serious problems," Dr. Mann said, adding it suggests
"these problems may be increased in the future."