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Video: Alcoholism (3:22).
Scott, G. (2013). 'Drunk Mom': From her bruisingly
confessional addiction memoir, Jowita Bydlowska hopes to inspire compassion.
TheTyee.ca.
CBC News, (2011).
A study by the University of Victoria shows alcohol consumption in B.C. is rising faster than in the rest of the country.
The study by the Centre for Addictions Research of B.C. indicates alcohol was responsible for an estimated 2,000 deaths in B.C. in 2009, and caused more than 20,000 hospital visits as a result of alcohol poisoning, falls or other injuries.
"Hospitalizations that are related to alcohol are a very good indicator of trends, of hazardous drinking and harm," said Dr. Tim Stockwell with the Centre for Addictions Research.
"They're probably the best measure we've got — better than surveys, better than desk data."
Stockwell said alcohol-related hospitalizations in B.C. have been steadily rising over the past decade, and are getting close to the number caused by tobacco.
He said the increase is being seen across the entire population regardless of age and gender, but there are some marked geographical differences.
"The North has the highest rates of deaths as well as hospitalizations from alcohol, whereas the Interior comes about second, Vancouver Island third — all of them are above average," he said.
"And below average is Vancouver … and the Fraser [Valley] area."
The numbers are no surprise to provincial health officer Dr. Perry Kendall.
"There are a large number of diseases and illnesses that can be linked to dangerous alcohol consumption," he said. "We know that one of the most effective means of lowering alcohol consumption is actually pricing."
Stockwell agrees the most effective way to curb drinking is to make alcohol more expensive.
"The Ministry of Solicitor General and Public Safety have the power to set minimum prices already — the fact is they don't," he said.
"We're very familiar with alcohol and we take it for granted. It's not like milk and orange juice, and so we've got to look at rather different responses because it's not just an ordinary commodity."
Addiction and the Brain - drug or alcohol abuse is a disease.
By Elton
Hobson, Global News, March 18, 2013.
A new chapter begins Monday in the ongoing legal battle over British Columbia’s impaired driving laws.
The case at the B.C. Court of Appeals alleges that the impaired driving law is unconstitutional because it violates the charter rights of those who fail (or refuse to take) a field sobriety test by denying them a presumption of innocence.
“If the government wants to revise the way that it goes about drinking and driving, that’s fine,” Raji Magnat, a lawyer with the B.C. Civil Liberties Association (BCCLA), told Global News. “But it doesn’t do anyone any good to have laws in place that are not providing constitutional protection to citizens.”
“Our focus remains on public safety and reducing the number of alcohol-related driving fatalities and injuries on B.C.’s roads,” B.C. Justice Minister Shirley Bond told Global News. “With 104 lives saved in the past two years and a 46 per cent reduction in alcohol-related fatalities since our law came into force , it’s clear we’re doing just that.”
At the heart of the controversy is the province’s Immediate Roadside Probation, or IRP, program. The new law allows a police officer to issue a variety of penalties if, during a field sobriety test, the subject shows higher than 0.08 blood alcohol content (BAC) on an approved screening device (ASD), or refuses to conduct a field sobriety test.
Those who do face an immediate 90-day driving ban, a $500 fine, and will have their vehicle impounded for 30 days. In addition, drivers will be required to participate in the provincial Responsible Driver Program. They must also use an ignition interlock device, which tests a driver’s breath for alcohol every time they operate their vehicle, for up to one year.
According to the BCCLA, this violates a citizen’s charter right to the presumption of innocence until proven guilty.
“The way the legislation has been crafted has created a criminal regime without procedural or due process protections in place,” Mangat said. “We feel this is significant given the significant penalties that this law entails.”
On Nov. 30, 2011, B.C.’s Supreme Court ruled that the new law violated the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. While agreeing that the law as a whole did not violate a citizen’s charter rights, the court ruled that the IRP program was unconstitutional, because it imposed significant penalties on a citizen without the ability for those found guilty to meaningfully challenge the decision.
So the province amended the law in 2012, allowing for the right to a second field sobriety test with a different ASD, as well as mandating that police inform citizens of this right. The amended law has been in effect since June 15, 2012.
“The procedural changes for police – including advising drivers of the right to a second test on a second approved screening device – and the complementary changes strengthening the appeal process help to ensure a consistent, fair approach,” Bond said.
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Types of Stimulants That Are Abused
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Trends in Substances Involved, Contexts and Responses
Kate Vallance¹, Gina Martin¹,Tim Stockwell¹, Scott Macdonald¹, Clifton Chow², Andrew
Ivsins¹, Jane Buxton³, Andrew Tu³, Jat Sandhu², Tim Chu² & Ben Fair² (2012).
¹ Centre for Addictions Research of BC, ²Vancouver Coastal Health, ³BC Centre for Disease Control.
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