Pubdate: Mon, 20 Oct 2014 Source: Windsor Star (CN ON) Copyright: 2014 The Windsor Star Contact: http://www.canada.com/windsorstar/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/501 Author: Peter O'Neil Cited: Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse: http://www.ccsa.ca FEDS SHOULD DO MORE TO FIGHT ALCOHOL ABUSE, HEALTH GROUP SAYS OTTAWA - The Conservative government, which has waged a long and aggressive campaign against illicit drug use, should put more energy into the battle against alcohol abuse, according to the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse. The Health Canada-funded organization wants the federal government to include alcohol in its $570-million National Anti-Drug Strategy that was launched shortly after the Conservatives took power in 2006. The Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse, which has already gone public to call on Ottawa to undertake a study on the public health implications of decriminalization or legalization of pot, argues that alcohol causes far more harm in Canada than drugs. Alcohol causes more deaths than lung cancer and more hospital stays than all other substances combined, the organization argues in a brief submitted to the House of Commons finance committee that is seeking public input on Budget 2015. It is also closely linked to spousal abuse and fatal motor-vehicle crashes, and, according to a 2002 study on crime, the cost of alcohol-related offences was $3.1 billion versus $2.3 billion for drug offences. "Renewed efforts to reduce the prevalence and harms of alcohol abuse could alleviate burdens on our enforcement, justice, health and social care systems," the centre stated in its submission to the finance committee. A B.C. criminologist urged Prime Minister Stephen Harper to follow the centre's advice. "The line that we have drawn between legal and illegal drugs has everything to do with history, politics and culture, and almost nothing to do with public health," said Neil Boyd, director of Simon Fraser University's school of criminology. "For most people and in most circumstances, alcohol is a drug that is much more destructive to health than cannabis." The federal government has allocated $570 million since 2007-08 for its multi-pronged strategy that involves numerous departments, from justice to Health Canada to foreign affairs. Funded programs include those involved in gathering drug-related foreign financial intelligence, forensic accounting, tax compliance, border patrols, drug prosecution, drug treatment, and health promotion and efforts especially involving youth. The proposal suggests the federal government could join forces with federal and provincial government departments, organizations and the alcohol industry that are collaborating on ways to discourage excessive boozing. A spokesman for Health Minister Rona Ambrose didn't comment on the proposal, saying the government will review all submissions before the budget is tabled in early 2015. - --- MAP posted-by: Richard