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CBC
11 hours ago
- Health
- CBC
Experts point to B.C., Ontario for why Nova Scotia should not expand alcohol access
Nova Scotia is being urged to scrap any thoughts of expanding alcohol sales by a group of experts based in Ontario. The letter — signed by eight people from organizations such as the Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research and Canadian Alcohol Policy Evaluation Project — has been sent to Premier Tim Houston and members of the legislature. It warns that more access to alcohol could have damaging impacts. It cited examples from B.C. and Ontario, where retail access has increased. "We need to get that message to the province before they make the same mistakes as Ontario and British Columbia have made," said Ian Culbert, the executive director of the Canadian Public Health Association, who is a signatory. The letter, signed by public health and policy experts, said research in both provinces shows when it is easier to buy booze, the health risks go up as well. It said that after Ontario expanded retail access to alcohol in 2015, alcohol-related emergency department visits rose in two years by more than 24,000. In B.C., a 20 per cent increase in alcohol retail outlets was linked to a 3.25 per cent increase in alcohol-related deaths. The letter points to alcohol-related harms, including avoidable hospitalizations, preventable deaths and heightened risk of chronic diseases such as cancer. "Alcohol is one of the leading causes of cancer after tobacco. In fact, it can lead to the development of nine different types of cancers," said Brandon Purcell, who also signed the letter and is with the Canadian Cancer Society. "Only about 50 per cent of folks in Atlantic Canada are aware of the link between alcohol and cancer." The Nova Scotia Alcohol Policy Coalition already issued its own warning to the province in a letter it sent to MLAs last month. It said that in 2022, alcohol was responsible for 571 deaths and almost 44,200 emergency department and hospital visits across the province. Survey underway in Nova Scotia Nova Scotia is conducting a public opinion survey to see what people think about expanding retail access to alcohol. The survey, which closes Monday, includes questions on health and safety considerations for any potential changes, the types of stores where alcohol can be sold and locations where people are allowed to consume it. A news release issued last month said it is a good time to examine how alcohol is sold and consumed, in part because the province is taking steps to eliminate interprovincial trade barriers. The release said about 1,500 Nova Scotians would be surveyed.
Ottawa Citizen
07-05-2025
- Health
- Ottawa Citizen
Higher measles risk heightens anxiety for immunocompromised individuals
Mike Bialek doesn't have many options when it comes to protecting himself from measles. Article content 'I don't even know what I could do, if anything, at this point,' said Bialek, an Ottawa resident who is immunocompromised. 'There's a lot of anxiety induced.' Article content As measles re-emerges in Ottawa for the first time since 2019, immunocompromised people, who can include those undergoing cancer treatments, living with autoimmune diseases or taking immunosuppressive medications, face much higher risks of severe illness from the virus. Article content Article content Once the recent news about measles broke, Ottawans, particularly those who are immunocompromised, took to social media to express their concerns about its reemergence. Article content Article content 'It's a big concern because I have to rely on herd immunity at this point,' Bialek said. Article content According to the Mayo Clinic, herd immunity refers to the point at which a disease struggles to spread because enough people are protected against it. That is achieved when 95 per cent of the community is immunized, according to Ian Culbert, executive director of the Canadian Public Health Association. 'When you have groups of people who are together, let's say at a specific school or a specific church or community centre where people are gathering and a lot of them are not vaccinated against measles, it only takes one case of measles introduced into that area to spread it to almost everyone who's unvaccinated,' he said. Article content Article content Bialek is unsure what further steps he can take beyond wearing a mask, and he wants clearer messaging from local and provincial authorities. Article content 'It would be nice to see a little bit more guidance in terms of what individuals can do, should they choose to take some initiative on themselves to try to protect themselves,' he said. Article content 'There was plenty of messaging like that with COVID … We're definitely not in COVID numbers yet with measles — God forbid if we ever get there — but it would be nice to see some kind of information like that from the city.' Article content Arnason says the risk to the public is currently 'very low,' but he acknowledges that those who are immunocompromised remain vulnerable because there is not much an individual can do to prevent contracting measles once exposed to it. Article content 'Individual level behaviors are challenging, you know, for the individual who's immunocompromised or parents of immunocompromised children,' he said. 'So, really, what it's about is about the people around them getting vaccinated. That's the most important thing.'
