PUBLIC HEALTH APPROACH to ALCOHOL POLICY: an UPDATED REPORT from the PROVINCIAL HEALTH OFFICER I CONTENTS
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
PUBLIC HEALTH APPROACH TO ALCOHOL POLICY AN UPDATED REPORT FROM THE PROVINCIAL HEALTH OFFICER P.R.W. Kendall, OBC, MBBS, MSc, FRCPC Provincial Health Officer December 2008 Office of the Provincial Health Officer Office of the Provincial Health Officer Copies of this report are available from: Office of the Provincial Health Officer Ministry of Healthy Living and Sport 4th Floor, 1515 Blanshard Street Victoria, B.C. V8W 3C8 Telephone: (250) 952-1330 Fax: (250) 952-1362 and electronically (in a .pdf file) from: http://www.health.gov.bc.ca/pho/ ISBN 978-0-7726-6092-3 Date: December 2, 2008 British Columbia. Office of the Provincial Health Officer. Public health approach to alcohol policy: an updated report from the Provincial Health Officer, December 2008 National Library of Canada Cataloguing in Publication Data British Columbia. Office of the Provincial Health Officer Public health approach to alcohol policy: an updated report from the Provincial Health Officer, December 2008 Issued by British Columbia Ministry of Healthy Living and Sport. Also available on the Internet. Includes bibliographical references: p. ISBN 978-0-7726-6092-3 1. Drinking of alcoholic beverages – British Columbia. 2. Drinking of alcoholic beverages – Health aspects. 3. Alcoholic beverages – Government policy – British Columbia. I. Kendall, Perry R. W. (Perry Robert William), 1943-. II. British Columbia. Ministry of Healthy Living and Sport. III. Title. HV5309.B7B74 362.292’2’09711 CONTENTS Acknowledgements ..........................................................................................................................................................................iii Executive Summary ..........................................................................................................................................................................v Introduction .......................................................................................................................................................................................1 Context and Background ..............................................................................................................................................................1 Recent Efforts to Enhance Alcohol Policy in BC and Canada .....................................................................................................2 Levels and Patterns of Alcohol Consumption in BC and Canada.........................................................................................5 Consumption Levels .....................................................................................................................................................................5 Consumption Patterns ..................................................................................................................................................................6 Frequency and Quantity .......................................................................................................................................................7 Concentration of Drinking in Canada ..................................................................................................................................7 Exceeding Low-Risk Drinking Guidelines ............................................................................................................................8 Risky Drinking .......................................................................................................................................................................8 Hazardous Drinking and Alcohol Dependence in BC ........................................................................................................9 Patterns of Alcohol Use Among University and College Students in BC and Canada ......................................................9 Alcohol Use Among Underage Youth in BC ......................................................................................................................10 Sources of Alcohol in BC ....................................................................................................................................................10 Summary ......................................................................................................................................................................................11 Alcohol-Related Health and Social Harms in BC and Canada .............................................................................................13 Alcohol-Caused and Alcohol-Related Mortality .........................................................................................................................14 Alcohol-Caused and Alcohol-Related Morbidity .......................................................................................................................16 Alcohol-Impaired Driving ...........................................................................................................................................................18 Alcohol-Related Crime ................................................................................................................................................................20 Self-Reported Alcohol-Related Health and Social Harms .........................................................................................................21 PUBLIC HEALTH APPROACH TO ALCOHOL POLICY: AN UPDATED REPORT FROM THE PROVINCIAL HEALTH OFFICER i CONTENTS Alcohol-Related Substance Abuse Treatment .......................................................................................................................... 21 Summary ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 22 Benefits and Costs of Alcohol in BC and Canada .................................................................................................................. 25 Economic Benefits ..................................................................................................................................................................... 25 Health Benefits of Moderate Alcohol Consumption ............................................................................................................... 25 Social Costs of Substance Abuse in BC and Canada ................................................................................................................ 26 Benefit – Cost Analysis .............................................................................................................................................................. 27 Summary ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 28 Alcohol Policy ................................................................................................................................................................................. 29 Best Practice Policies .................................................................................................................................................................. 29 Public Opinion ........................................................................................................................................................................... 30 Current Status of Alcohol Policies in BC .................................................................................................................................. 31 Economic Availability ......................................................................................................................................................... 31 Physical Availability ............................................................................................................................................................. 33 Government Retail Monopoly ................................................................................................................................... 33 Restrictions on Days and Hours of Sale .................................................................................................................... 35 Restrictions on Outlet Density .................................................................................................................................. 35 A Note on the Relationship between Physical Availability and Consumption ........................................................ 35 Other Policies ..................................................................................................................................................................... 35 Minimum Purchase Age ............................................................................................................................................. 35 Drinking and Driving Policies .................................................................................................................................... 36 Brief Interventions ...................................................................................................................................................... 37 Policies and Programs for Reducing Violence in and around Licensed Establishments ....................................................... 37 Server Training Programs .................................................................................................................................................