Edward Adlaf and Frank Ivis present us with a warning. Substance abuse is an enormous problem in Canada. But the nonmonetary costs are even more important.
Tobacco use continues to be the leading lifestyle-related cause of death in Canada.
Alcohol abuse causes high rates of disease, disability and death from cirrhosis, various types of cancer, injuries and congenital defects. These problems are not new. Several factors have been working against the efforts that have been made. For example, we now know that the tobacco companies have intentionally targeted their marketing efforts toward young people and that these efforts have been effective in attracting new recruits to tobacco addiction from among young people. Furthermore, some policies, such as reduced tobacco taxation, appear to have increased tobacco use among the young.