ADDICTIONS BY THE NUMBERS

Northern B.C. leads the province in hospitalizations due to alcohol
and illicit drugs per capita, according to a study by the Centre for
Addictions Research of B.C.

- - In Northern B.C. the average alcohol-related mortality rate was
39.15 deaths per 100,000 people from 2002 to 2009 - over 50 per cent
higher than the provincial average of 26 deaths per 100,000 people.

- - The annual hospitalization rate for alcohol-related causes in the
North (702.88 per 100,000 people) is nearly 75 per cent higher than
the provincial average (405.68 per 100,000 people).

- - In Northern B.C. the annual hospitalization rate related to illicit
drugs was 128.26 per 100,000 people. The provincial average was 101.16
hospitalizations per 100,000 people.

- - Between 2002 and 2008 an average of 1,152.8 men and 609.7 women were
hospitalized per year in Northern B.C. as a direct result of alcohol
consumption.

- - During the same period an average of 172.3 men and 180.3 women were
hospitalized per year in Northern B.C. as a direct result of illicit
drug use.

- - Between 2001 and 2006 a total of 321 men and 110 women died in
Northern B.C. as a direct result of alcohol consumption.

- - Over the same six-year period a total of 72 men and 32 women died in
the North as a direct result of illicit drug consumption.

- - Northern Health offers a total of seven short-term addiction
treatment beds which served 67 clients (49 per cent female) in
2009/10. Those clients stayed in treatment an average of 19 days.

- - Northern Health's detox centre operates 21 beds which served 843
clients (39 per cent female) in 2009/10.

- - Northern Health provided outpatient addiction counselling to 3,053
clients (45 per cent female) in 2009/10. A further 147 clients (45 per
cent female) received day treatment addiction services.

- - An additional 61 treatment beds were available in Northern Health
through contracted agencies, including Baldy Hughes Addiction
Treatment Centre and Therapeutic Community. Statistics weren't
available for the number of patients treated by those agencies.

- - Of clients seeking addiction treatment from Northern Health, 48.3
per cent sought treatment for alcoholism, 16 per cent marijuana
addiction and 12 per cent cocaine/crack addiction.

- - An addition 55 addiction treatment beds in the North are funded
through the National Native Alcohol and Drug Abuse Program.