In our words

In Our Words WHAT ALCOHOL USE LOOKS LIKE IN OUR TOWNS Municipal Alcohol Report November 2011 Municipal Alcohol Report 1 What Alcohol Use Looks Like in Our Towns Contents PROLOGUE: SNAPSHOTS OF ALCOHOL HARMS IN 1 ANTIGONISH, BRIDGEWATER AND WOLFVILLE THE MUNICIPAL ALCOHOL PROJECT: AN OVERVIEW 3 FINDINGS: A SUMMARY 4 IN DEPTH: THE IMPACT OF ALCOHOL IN ANTIGONISH 6 IN DEPTH: THE IMPACT OF ALCOHOL IN [...] Municipal Alcohol Report 2 What Alcohol Use Looks Like in Our Towns The Municipal Alcohol Project An Overview The stories you have just read about the impact of alcohol in Antigonish, Bridgewater and Wolfville were collected during the summer of 2011 as part of an innovative project designed to understand and illuminate alcohol-related harms in three Nova Scotia municipalities. [...] Key informants also discussed the impact of alcohol use on the reputation of the community. [...] In 2002, the percentage of alcohol-related crimes and charges attributable to alcohol was 67.6%, compared to 66.2% for the rest of Canada, costing $78.09 million for alcohol-related crimes.7 Key informants from the RCMP estimate the majority of their work is related directly or indirectly to alcohol consumption. [...] Informants also referenced a number of suicides in the community over the last 18 months, and three-quarters of these were completed while the men were under the influence of alcohol and in some cases, other drugs.