New report shows British Columbians are drinking less alcohol
A new report shows British Columbians seem to be drinking less alcohol than they have in 20 years. And Statistics Canada data is showing declining alcohol sales across Canada. Our medical columnist, Dr. Melissa Lem, is someone who might be happy to hear this news.
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Winnipeg Free Press
11 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Dental hygienists association says reports of worker shortage is ‘misinformation'
The Canadian Dental Hygienists Association is calling recent reports of a labour shortage in their profession 'misinformation.' The association's chief executive officer Ondina Love said Tuesday that the workforce is stable, but that many dental hygienists are driven out by poor working conditions, inadequate pay and burnout. The industry group told a morning press conference in Ottawa that retention is the issue that urgently needs to be addressed as Canada's federal dental plan expands and increases demand. 'We must correct the narrative. Claims of widespread dental hygienist shortages are often exaggerated and unsupported. Let me be clear, such assertions are unverifiable and false,' said Love. Back in March, the Canadian Dental Association, which represents 21,000 dentists, prepared a policy platform ahead of the federal election that said many of its members faced an ongoing shortage of dental hygienists. After the hygienists' press conference Tuesday, the association said in an emailed statement that it's important for hygienists to work in supportive environments, and said that it collaborated with the hygienists' association in 2022 to improve mental-health and human-resource support. But the dentists' group also repeated its concern about staffing levels, saying it is 'among the most pressing issues impacting dental office's ability to provide care.' Love said her association's data shows 25 per cent of dental hygienists will likely leave the profession within five years, but that the number of new graduates exceeds that. She said the issue is about retention and not a shortage. She pointed to a survey of more than 2,900 association members in 2023 that found 40 per cent considered leaving their jobs, and six in 10 reported experiencing or witnessing bullying, abuse and violence at work. Love said complaints of a shortage mostly come from organizations representing dentists, who are often hygienists' employers. She said that includes a petition signed by more than 670 dentists in Ontario calling on the province to allow internationally trained dentists to clean and polish teeth. In a federal election policy platform released in March, the Canadian Dental Association said an 'ongoing shortage' was already limiting care and estimated that the country will need more than 1,500 additional dental hygienists to meet an expected influx of patients newly covered by the Canadian Dental Care Plan. The federal government says more than four million people have been approved for coverage since the plan began in May 2024, and that a total of nine million Canadians are expected to be eligible. Applications for people aged 18 to 64 opened in May and coverage for those who are eligible began earlier this month. On Tuesday, the dentists' group pointed to Statistics Canada data that found 50 per cent of dental offices reported difficulty recruiting hygienists in 2023. 'A growing population and increased demand for dental services have created significant operational challenges for dental practices,' the Canadian Dental Association said. Donna Wells, the hygienist association's manager of professional practice, said dental hygiene programs have increased their cohort sizes and the current number of graduates offsets the number of people leaving the profession. 'We want to ensure that dental hygienists who are already in the profession stay in the profession. And I think that needs to be addressed,' Wells said. She said the number of dental hygienists vary by region, with far less in some rural and remote areas, but pushes back on those who say there is an overall shortage. The Canadian Dental Hygienists Association is calling on the Canadian Dental Association to collaborate on an oral health workforce strategy to improve working conditions and equitable distribution of oral health professionals across the country. Many dental hygienists work at dentist-owned clinics but a growing number work at independent dental hygienist offices that operate without the presence of a dentist. To practise in Canada, they must be registered or licensed by a provincial or territorial regulatory authority. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 17, 2025. Canadian Press health coverage receives support through a partnership with the Canadian Medical Association. CP is solely responsible for this content.
CBC
15 hours ago
- CBC
Disease-carrying ticks are showing up earlier in B.C., and in greater numbers
Ticks are showing up earlier and in greater numbers in B.C., spreading pathogens such as the one that causes Lyme disease. Cases of that have gone up nationwide by more than 5,000 since 2009. CBC medical columnist Melissa Lem explains what you need to know.
CBC
4 days ago
- CBC
Men are not OK, report on premature deaths in Canada suggests
About 44 per cent of men living in Canada die prematurely, according to a new report from the Movember Institute of Men's Health. The report defines premature mortality as deaths in men before age 75. The deaths from cancer, coronary heart disease, accidents, suicide and the opioid crisis include some causes that might have been prevented through vaccinations, lifestyle changes like quitting smoking or avoiding injuries. In 2023, almost 75,000 males died prematurely, according to Statistics Canada. "We're here because too many men are dying too young from largely preventable causes," Catherine Corriveau of Movember Canada said at a news conference on Parliament Hill on Thursday. Suicide was the fourth leading cause of premature death in males after cancer, coronary heart disease and accidents. Three in four of the deaths by suicide in Canada were men, Corriveau said. While the report looks at the health needs of men overall, the group noted those statistics were much worse for Indigenous men or men living in vulnerable communities. Stigma, gender bias and low health literacy are long-standing barriers that often prevent men from seeking care until it's too late, the report's authors said. The impact extends to families, communities and the economy. Fathers and sons learn together Niigaan Sinclair, a co-author of the report and professor of Indigenous Studies at the University of Manitoba, said one solution is to have fathers and sons learn together. He gave an example during a recent fathers' weekend where he spoke and saw boys and men who grew up without fathers or uncles learning skills like how to tie their shoes, do a puzzle or build a lodge together. "That young man who has become a father, he too didn't learn that because he wasn't able to, because many of those ceremonies in his community were gutted and removed," said Sinclair, who is also the son of the late Senator Murray Sinclair, the first Indigenous person appointed as a judge in Manitoba and chief commissioner of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission into residential schools. "Making mistakes together, learning humility together, learning to laugh together at themselves, but then ultimately making something together that they could be proud of. That's truly what I think a goal would be for any program that would teach healthy Indigenous masculinity or Indigenous manhood." WATCH | Black men discuss Black masculinity, dating and fatherhood: Black men's mental health and the healing power of community 1 year ago Duration 6:47 Khan Bouba-Dalambaye and Sheldon Lewis, the co-facilitators of the Black Men's Wellness program run by the Black Healing Centre, have been sharing their experiences with other Black men like Kerwins Saint-Jean, addressing a wide range of topics such as identity, dating, fatherhood and Black masculinity. Those lessons could help men avoid outcomes like jail, hospitalization or premature death, Sinclair said, while also benefiting families and their communities. The report also suggests embracing the power of sport to promote health. Experiences with seeking help The report's authors also analyzed national mortality trends. Previously, the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) said deaths from preventable causes were twice that for men than women. The Movember report included a nationally representative poll of more than 1,500 men on their experiences engaging with primary care. Only about 48 per cent of respondents said they felt actively listened to during a first health-care interaction. "If they don't feel listened to and if they don't feel cared for, they might not show up again," Corriveau said. Dr. Vincent Agyapong, a professor and head of psychiatry at Dalhousie University, said he was surprised by that finding. "It reflects that health-care providers need to listen more empathetically," said Agyapong, who was not involved in the report and welcomed the authors' multi-pronged approach to mental health that isn't one-size-fits-all. "It's always very difficult for men to reach out and seek help," Agyapong said. Prioritize mental health literacy When men do seek help, Agyapong said, it's important that health-care providers are sensitive and focus on the main concern that brought the person in off the bat, instead of launching into a checklist of background questions. Agyapong said schools and workplaces should prioritize mental health literacy, providing men with resources to recognize the signs and symptoms of mental disorders and know they are treatable with medications and psychological approaches. Mental health promotion for men at risk will lead to more people seeking healthcare such as psychological help earlier on when they are distressed rather than trying to manage themselves or turning to alcohol and drugs, which can be risk factors themselves, Agyapong said. Corriveau said Canada has an opportunity to address the challenges of health promotion by developing a national men's health strategy to respond to their health-care needs. Australia and the U.K. have already done so.
