Tofino has a drinking problem.
The townB次元官网网址檚 council adopted a Municipal Alcohol Policy in 2021 after two years of consultations stemming from a , warning that alcohol had become the districtB次元官网网址檚 top health concern.
Despite the districtB次元官网网址檚 actions since then, alcohol continues to top the local health concern list and Medical Health Officer Dr. Charmaine Enns urged council to do more to tackle the issue during a presentation last month.
B次元官网网址淲e have an issue and itB次元官网网址檚 not going away. In fact, I expect it to get worse because as consumption goes up so does harm,B次元官网网址� Enns said during councilB次元官网网址檚 Aug. 20 regular meeting.
B次元官网网址淓specially through enacting alcohol control policiesB次元官网网址s a local government, you actually are very powerfulB次元官网网址ouB次元官网网址檙e very powerful in terms of the impacts on the health of the public.B次元官网网址�
She explained that Tofino General Hospital is seeing an alarming and rising number of alcohol related hospitalizations that were 33 times higher than opioid hospitalizations in 2023. The rest of Vancouver Island saw alcohol hospitalizations 2.4 times higher than opiods.
B次元官网网址淲e have, in this community, hospitalization rates for alcohol that are almost 2.5 times higher compared to any other area on Vancouver Island,B次元官网网址� she said.
She added that B次元官网网址渙pioid hospitalizations have been very stable, even over the toxic drug crisis, but alcohol is on the rise in terms of hospitalizations.B次元官网网址�
She said hospital admissions linked to alcohol in the Alberni-Clayoquot region have surpassed tobacco and are 1.6 times higher than the rest of Vancouver Island and 2.1 times higher than British Columbia. Alcohol hospitalizations in the region have increased 1.4 times since 2007. Alberni-Clayoquot has a substance use disorder rate of 630.7 per 100,000, nearly two times higher than B.C.B次元官网网址檚 rate of 348.
B次元官网网址淭his is largely driven by alcohol,B次元官网网址� she said, adding alcohol hospitalizations are over 700 per 100,000 while tobacco is around 600 and opioids are under 100.
She added that the death rate from alcohol in the Alberni - Clayoquot region is 50.1 per 100,000, eclipsing the IslandB次元官网网址檚 rate of 37.6 and B.C.B次元官网网址檚 rate of 33.6.
She said the average alcohol consumption for Alberni-Clayoquot residents over 15 years old has reached 16.8 standard drinks a week, while the IslandB次元官网网址檚 average is 10.3.
B次元官网网址淲e now know in increasing evidence and body of knowledge that the more drinks that are consumed, the more likely there are to be individual harms. The new guidance in Canada is that seven or more standard drinks a week will result in harm,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淎lcohol is a carcinogen and we havenB次元官网网址檛 done a good job in our society of making the public aware of that as they consume. The risks from alcohol are not to be diminished.B次元官网网址�
She suggested steps must be taken to denormalize drinking and decrease consumption.
B次元官网网址淐onsume less. ThereB次元官网网址檚 no magic number, but consume less because the less you drink the less harm thereB次元官网网址檚 going to be to the individual, but also in terms of society,B次元官网网址� she said.
Enns lives in Tofino, but had not presented to the townB次元官网网址檚 municipal council in a professional capacity before as her designated area for the past 21 years has been the North Island and sheB次元官网网址檚 currently filling an interim role in TofinoB次元官网网址檚 jurisdiction.
B次元官网网址淚 have a duty to monitor and report on the health of the population and specifically to report to you as an elected government,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淚 actually have to advise in an independent manner, thatB次元官网网址檚 my job. IB次元官网网址檓 not here to be difficult or to cause waves. IB次元官网网址檓 actually doing my job and then your job, conversely in our relationship, is to hopefully receive and consider it. You donB次元官网网址檛 have to do anything with it, but you have a responsibility in governing to receive the independent advice and to consider and, I hope, use it.B次元官网网址�
She acknowledged that TofinoB次元官网网址檚 economy is driven by tourism, but argued against the perception that alcohol has an important role to play in vacations.
B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e a tourist town, I get that. IB次元官网网址檝e lived here a long time. We have small producers, restaurants and tourism. ItB次元官网网址檚 kind of counter intuitive to me that weB次元官网网址檇 want to further normalize alcohol in an area that has spectacular beauty and outdoors that is unmeasurable compared to most of the world,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淲e, as community members, have a job to do too. We need to speak up for whatB次元官网网址檚 important for us and how we want to have, I would hope, a life in our community thatB次元官网网址檚 denormalizing alcohol and doesnB次元官网网址檛 need alcohol to have an enriched and meaningful community experience.B次元官网网址�
She added that the negative impacts of alcohol outweigh the economic benefits, explaining that alcohol sales in B.C. generate about $2 billion in revenue, but cost $2.81 billion in terms of harms in healthcare, lost productivity and criminal justice.
B次元官网网址淭here is an argument that this is a boost to the economy and itB次元官网网址檚 a price weB次元官网网址檙e willing to pay. IB次元官网网址檇 like to just challenge that by saying, in fact, this is a loss for us in terms of the economy in B.C.,B次元官网网址� She said. B次元官网网址淲e were in the hole $768 million in 2020 from alcohol and thatB次元官网网址檚 without many of the societal and other impacts that arenB次元官网网址檛 measurable in terms of dollars and cents.B次元官网网址�
She suggested every time someone has an alcoholic beverage, it costs British Columbians more than 30 cents in impacts.
B次元官网网址淲e have to pay for that as a tax baseB次元官网网址omebody has to pay for the harms and the alcohol sales arenB次元官网网址檛 covering it,B次元官网网址� she said.
B次元官网网址淎s we consider what this means for Tofino, I would propose that it needs to be balanced against the community harms and safety and also I would propose we challenge some of the industry narrative. LetB次元官网网址檚 not be shy about challenging some of that narrativeB次元官网网址e can dispel a lot of that industry narrative if we can just engage in conversation.B次元官网网址�
She reiterated that council has significant power to decrease alcohol sales and consumption through limiting the amount of businesses where alcohol is sold and the hours those businesses are able to operate.
B次元官网网址淚 donB次元官网网址檛 mean just liquor stores. I mean hours of sales where thereB次元官网网址檚 liquor distribution or liquor sales. You can control that through bylaw,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淚t is in your power.B次元官网网址�
She suggested enforcement could include revoking business licences, increasing bylaw enforcement of business licences, establishing a new business licence category and surveillance.
In terms of denormalizing alcohol, Enns suggested the district could launch public campaigns around health and safety messaging and restrict alcohol at events.
She acknowledged the district was one of the first communities in B.C. to implement a Municipal Alcohol Policy in 2021, but suggested that policy be updated and a Community Alcohol Strategy be looked at as alcohol related harms go beyond the individual who consumes.
She added Island Health has created a new policy department that could help Tofino upgrade its alcohol policies.
B次元官网网址淭he priority within the unit is alcohol,B次元官网网址� she said.
Coun. Al Anderson asked how consumption is measured to prove Tofino residents are drinking more, noting the town has a high number of tourists as well as a transient population of seasonal workers that could be skewing the numbers.
Enns acknowledged that B次元官网网址渢his is not a precise measurementB次元官网网址� and is based on sales, but suggested the numbers are likely not affected much by visitors.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 the local population that is the bedrock for the data and it doesnB次元官网网址檛 change with the season,B次元官网网址� she said.
Coun. Duncan McMaster pointed out that Enns is an employee of the provincial government, which controls the distribution and sales of alcohol.
B次元官网网址淚 just wonder what response you get from your bosses at the provincial government,B次元官网网址� he said.
Enns responded that the province is in B次元官网网址渁 conflicted positionB次元官网网址� on the issue.
B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 here to give you my independent medical advice as a public health physician. IB次元官网网址檓 not a politician. The province though has the responsibility to tax the product and also pay for healthcare and legal system and criminal justice. TheyB次元官网网址檙e in a bit of a pickle I would say,B次元官网网址� she said.
B次元官网网址淭he issue of my ability and conflict is very real as it relates to the conversation on alcoholB次元官网网址tB次元官网网址檚 not an easy path, but we canB次元官网网址檛 ignore it because other people have a vested interest and benefit.B次元官网网址�
She suggested the province could face liabilities for the sales of carcinogens not labelled as carcinogens and noted Coun. Tom StereB次元官网网址檚 efforts to launch a new labelling system for alcoholic beverages, similar to the warnings on cigarette packs.
Coun. Stere spoke about councilB次元官网网址檚 efforts to tackle alcohol consumption and said TofinoB次元官网网址檚 Municipal Alcohol Policy is set for review this year or early 2025 and said the district would likely reach out to Island Health for advice on updating it.
B次元官网网址淚t is in the community charter very clearly that it is our responsibility,B次元官网网址� Stere said.
