Southern Alberta Council on Public Affairs (SACPA)

Alcohol abuse and addiction are two of the most complex and costly challenges facing Canadian society. According to the Washington Post, alcohol kills more people than HIV, AIDS, TB and violence combined. Heavy or even regular alcohol consumption increases the risk of developing cancers of the mouth, throat, esophagus, liver, breast, colon and rectum. In 2013, alcohol-related health care, law enforcement and lost productivity cost Canadians $14.6 billion. Globally, more than 3 million people die yearly from causes related to alcohol consumption. And it’s not just men boozing it up!! All over the western world, including Canada, women are consuming more alcohol than ever before. Compared to a decade ago, the latest Statscan figures show a startling 30 per cent rise in the number of Canadian women engaged in risky drinking. The adverse effects are not limited to women per se. Their children and subsequent generations are being seriously harmed. In Alberta alone, thousands of children are born each year with F