Released today from the British Columbia Rural Health Network (BCRHN), the province is reporting a 9% drop in alcohol sales from the 2023-24 period. This is the largest decrease since the 2001-2002 time span.
When relating it to the Northwest, the Stikine district had the highest rate per-capita in sales at 1,157 standard drinks per person aged 15+.
For the Health Service Delivery Area, the Northwest region places second behind East Kootenay with a total of 731.
Comparing the Northwest to the entire province, the North section (603) is second behind the Central Interior at 683.
A potential factor for the overall drop is the significant population increase that BC has seen over the past few years, especially when combining that with moderate alcohol sales. Additionally, with immigrants arriving from countries that typically consume less alcohol, that has also been an influence in the drop.
“While this is great news for public health, there is still a long way to go,” said Dr. Tim Naimi, the Executive Director for the Canadian Institute For Substance Use.