Canadians Recording High Drug, Alcohol Consumption

"It's not a surprise. We sit high for drug and alcohol use in a lot of these studies."
Susan Bondy, associate professor University of Toronto

"NPS [new psychoactive substances] vary widely in their risk profile with inconsistent composition and potency often being significant factors in the risks they pose."
"Drugs with a psychedelic effect profile [including LSD imitations] are on the increase while potent novel opioid drugs like acetylfentanyl and carfentanil have been responsible for scores of deaths in Canada and these are the ones to watch in future years."
"Mentioning harms won’t be easy for some cannabis companies and committed consumers."
"The reality is that mandating health warnings is the only reasonable approach any country legalizing cannabis can adopt. To date, none apart from Canada have chosen to do so."
Report, Global Drug Survey

Almost half of all respondents reported using cocaine in their lifetime, but Canadians used it almost twice as much as the rest of the world.   Getty Images/iStock Photo

Over 130,000 people from 36 countries were part of a survey led by Dr. Adam Winstock, addiction medicine specialist and his team of researchers, in London, England. The conclusion was that among other world-class alcohol-and-drug imbibers, Canada stands out. Not that there are any prizes being handed out for coming in second in the world for cocaine use and third for drunkenness. Hard drinking and cocaine use isn't anyone's idea of how to lead a sane, healthy life.

But the median use of cocaine for Canadians according to the study came out to ten days annually, gleaned from interviews with 1,950 Canadians. That information interpreted by specialists or anyone else interested in parsing it, comes out to double the global use of six days a year because the Canadian usage reflects a once-a-month habit. Where Canadians matched the average worldwide was in their report of using a half gram of cocaine.

Scotland beat Canada out for the number one place in cocaine use with 12 days a year. Brazil, Italy, Portugal, Denmark and Britain came to a tie with Canada for second place. Evidently, of ten Canadians who make use of cocaine, six anticipate attempting to cut back their use. Some day. Soon. Or not. Meanwhile, other nationals pay more for their cocaine than do Canadian users. Known as a costly drug, in Canada it is affordable.

The global average price of a gram of cocaine comes out to $120, whereas in Canada that same gram of cocaine comes in at an 'affordable' $85. The study also points out that barely legal copycat drugs like party pills and synthetic cannabis are big sellers in Canada, fond of new psychoactive substances as they are.

According to the report's findings, 12 percent of Canadians in the survey used NPS, the second highest number, close to three times greater than the global average of 4.3 percent. Ranking third in the world for drunkenness, Canadians get drunk 47 times a year and that would come close to once weekly, a rather insalubrious habit.

‘In the UK we don’t tend to do moderation’, says the founder of the Global Drug Survey. ‘We might have to ... think about how to advise people to get drunk drinking less.’ Photograph: Alamy

Americans who were surveyed reported 50 days 'under the influence' in the past year, and in the United Kingdom, survey participants boasted the greatest alcoholic binges with 51 drinking days each year. As with cocaine, roughly half of Canadians reporting had a wish to consume less alcohol in the year to come; close to one in five experienced regret while two in ten considered professional  help.

"In general, we're in the middle of the pack for alcohol for how much we drink and consumption levels", remarked, Robert Mann, a scientist at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, who characterized the report as "interesting", but claiming Canadians have not been known to win global drinking contests throughout his own research years.

"Local drug fixes [help] to overcome misery, induce laughter, ward off pain, put in time when too tired to do anything useful [and] Canada, a collection of small communities, is no different."
"Tales of the railway being built include the two professions that crossed the country with the railway workers, sellers of booze and prostitution… living in cold, lonely places, separated from each other for decades before decent roads got built, [people] learned how to find their own amusement and create their own booze."
"Community habits don’t change easily, even though the reasons for drinking may alter."
Elizabeth Trott, professor emeritus, Ryerson University

English-speaking countries top the list for getting drunk, with respondents from the U.K., the U.S., Canada and Australia drinking about once a week.   Sue Ogrocki / Associated Press - file photo

"It might be time to look at providing guidelines offering advice on how to get drunk safely and offering some lower risk limits on the frequency of the risky activity and to highlight that for most people they would get as much pleasure when they choose to get drunk if they drank a bit less."
"We might at least engage people who at present may see guidelines as irrelevant especially after that fourth drink."
Report, Global Drug Survey

Free Pass, Go Directly to the Mayor's Office

"I was born with this disease, I'm going to die with this disease. I know I didn't drink yesterday. I didn't take a drink today. I am taking it one day at a time."
"Regardless of my alcoholism and my substance-abuse problem, this is handled through my lawyer, Dennis Morris. I think anybody in my position would get legal advice and that's exactly what I've done. Obviously, it's before the courts."
"I can't imagine using (that) terminology [Ford's repeated use of racist, homophobic and sexist slurs]. When you have this disease, you do things, say things that just aren't you. I take full responsibility. All I can do is apologize and deal with this disease."
Toronto Mayor Rob Ford, CBC interview

The CBC's Dwight Drummond spoke to Mayor Rob Ford on Wednesday, asking the city's chief magistrate questions about the drug and alcohol use that led him to rehab. (Dave Seglins/CBC)

Take full responsibility? If that were the case, he would remove himself voluntarily from public office. Apologize and deal with his "disease"? It's Torontonians who find themselves dealing with this man's spurious disease. Disease? He's a self-indulgent, self-entitled blow-hard who discovered early in life that bellowing threats, exuding nastiness and forging full-steam ahead into criminal connections and behaviour leaves the impression among the gullible that this represents the power of persuasion and intelligent action.

His disease is that of the pathology of self-idolization. And he need explain nothing, since everything is "before the courts". Aided most significantly by his older brother who insists that a runner who just happened to come across then confront the mayor at a Canada Day parade used "racial slurs", in accosting his brother and accusing him of being a lying racist. Joe Killoran, a teacher by profession who happened to be out running on July 1st, when he came across the intellectual behemoth that is Toronto's mayor, couldn't resist expressing his disgust with the man.

And Rob Ford's brother characterizes Mr. Killoran as a "left-wing lunatic", using "racist" slurs against his innocent brother. "You can be racist against people who have a drinking problem", explained Councillor Ford. "You can be racist against people that eat little red apples". This is so, it is a reality because Councillor Ford proclaims it to be so. And why not? After all, the medical community solemnly designates alcoholism and drug addiction as "diseases", arming Ford Nation amply in its compassion for their hero who must fight his "disease" on behalf of Torontonians.

The position of mayor, however, insists Rob Ford, does not trigger his substance abuse. Although self-indulgence does and monumental arrogance in passing it off as a lifetime disease he must bravely struggle with, he will soldier on, and will do so as continuing mayor of the hapless City of Toronto. "This is what I love to do, I had this disease before this office", he declared. Intoxication is wholly responsible for his shameful behaviour. But it's the alcohol that is at fault, not His Honour.

It has become human-rights-fashionable to give a free pass to "celebrities" acting out in poor public displays of dissolute or immoral acts that would shame anyone with a half-wit's worth of brains. Shame? That's for people who take their adult responsibilities seriously and who recognize they act with free will when they make decisions that will come back to haunt them. None of Rob Ford's decisions and acts of shameful behaviour haunt him; they're part and parcel of his celebrity. And his celebrity reflects his personality and character.

All of which presents as a sad commentary on the Toronto electorate.

Damn Right on All Counts

"There is an inordinate amount of information on our mayor that does not appear to be relevant to the investigation or the request to a judge to issue a search warrant. There is a lot about conduct which is of questionable value to the stated purpose."
"The police were doing what they had to do -- following crime. They gather as much information as possible. But the reason for the inclusion of so much information on the behaviour of the mayor in the [Information to Obtain, called an] ITO is not sufficiently clear to me."
"It is extremely long. It is extremely detailed. I've never seen a 500-page ITO. I have never seen such detail in an ITO. All of this sort of comes together quite uncomfortably."
"If it is not bearing fruit for a criminal investigation it is not relevant. Superfluous, irrelevant information ought not to be in there. As to the move, I can't speculate."
Joseph Neuberger, Toronto criminal defence lawyer, uninvolved in the Ford case

Rob Ford’s apologies: Stop us if you think you’ve heard this one before

Interesting observations to be sure. And doubtless, as far as the legal aspect goes he is correct; he should be, it's his baileywick, after all. On the other hand, never before has the public been exposed to the life and antics of a professional politician like that of Toronto's Chief Magistrate. The volume of revelations, however they surfaced, display a decided lack of judgement, reasonableness, intelligence and responsibility. They also do display a contempt for societal norms and the law.

That a mayor of Toronto's largest city has seen fit to behave in a manner incommensurate with his office, repugnant in the manner in which he comports himself, yet sees no obligation to step aside despite the humiliating revelations speaks to the measure of the man. He most obviously does not fit the profile of the office. A profile which should ideally be absent ideology, and totally comprised of a determination to serve the public weal.

And while Rob Ford insists that's precisely what he meant and means to do, he has compromised his ability to do just that.

Not just by revealing himself to have traits more commonly seen in low-lifing criminals, but by the cavalier manner in which he viewed his public vows in serving office, while simultaneously thumbing his nose at conventions both social and legal. Most intelligent individuals would agree given recent revelations and admissions that the man's ambitions vastly outweigh his commitments and his capacity to act in good faith.

He has lost the trust of the city he insists he has the legal right to continue to guide in his capacity as mayor.

It is malfeasance in office to treat staff as though they are personal servants, to make derogatory racist and homophobic declarations, to sexually harass female workers from the lofty height of the mayor's office. Consorting with known petty criminals and drug dealers, to become publicly and obviously inebriated, making a tawdry display of himself and soiling his office, and to covertly purchase illegal recreational drugs is a criminal offence.

The man must answer for all these instances of absent judgement.

"Why do we need to know this? How did those very personal and very sad details get deemed as relevant to use, as reasonable and probable grounds to believe an offence has been committed, for the purpose of a search warrant? Once it is in the ITO, the investigators know it will be seen by other eyes. I have wondered about what might happen when police do that to a politician who hasn't alienated so many people, who hasn't been so belligerent and engendered such animosity."
Graham Clark, Toronto criminal defence lawyer, uninvolved in Ford case

"There is a strong element of 'we're damned if we do and damned if we don't. They have consulted with the Crown throughout the whole process. They have taken advice at every single stage in the process. The best defence against people accusing you of either targeting or shielding is to make sure that everything you've done is absolutely clear, that you can articulate why you've done what you've done, the length you've gone to get advice."
"The decision about what would be included in it came as a result of very detailed consultation with the Crown."
"We have been accused of both covering up for him and for targeting him. If people are accusing you of completely incompatible things, the chances are, you're probably right down the middle."
Mark Pugash, Toronto police spokesman