Pubdate: Thu, 15 Jun 2000 Source: Toronto Sun (CN ON) Copyright: 2000, Canoe Limited Partnership. Contact: 333 King St. E., Toronto, Ontario M5A 3X5 Canada Fax: (416) 947-3228 Website: http://www.canoe.ca/TorontoSun/ Forum: http://www.canoe.ca/Chat/newsgroups.html Author: Sharon Lem 10% OF HEALTH COSTS GO TO VICES Booze, butts 'n' drugs The use and misuse of alcohol, tobacco and illicit drugs were responsible for one in five deaths and almost 10% of hospital admissions in Canada in 1995. A study -- published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal -- found that alcohol, tobacco and illicit drugs represent a major source of death and illness in Canada. "This is a wake-up call that speaks to the nature of the problem. It's somewhat different than ways that were previously conceived. It's not just long-term medical problems that are causing death, but also acute ones," said Dr. Eric Single, research associate at the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse. 82,014 ADMITTED The study estimated that 6,507 Canadians died and 82,014 Canadians were admitted to hospital because of alcohol consumption and misuse. The largest number of alcohol-related deaths stemmed from impaired-driving accidents. About 787 men and 357 women died in car accidents caused by alcohol impairment. Alcoholic liver cirrhosis accounted for 1,037 deaths and 955 were alcohol-related suicides. Researchers estimate in 1995, 34,728 deaths and 194,072 admissions to hospital were attributable to tobacco use. Smoking-related lung cancer accounted for 12,151 deaths while 6,671 were due to tobacco-related chronic pulmonary disease. And more than two-thirds of those who died from tobacco-related causes were men. The number of deaths related to illicit drug use in 1995 in Canada was estimated at 805 deaths with 6,940 hospital admissions. - ---