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Islanders drink more alcohol than provincial, national average

Vital Signs survey reports average south Island resident drinks 11.2 litres of alcohol a year
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The average south Vancouver Islander will drink 11.2 litres of alcohol per year. (Black Press Media file photo)

Southern Vancouver Islanders love to drink.

According to the Victoria Vital Signs 2020 report, residents of south Vancouver Island consume more alcohol than both the provincial and the federal average.

The Vital Signs report is an annual community report that measures the vitality of the area by comparing data from a variety of sources. It is produced by the Victoria Foundation and compares results to the United Nations Sustainable Development goals to grade how the city is doing.

READ ALSO: Alcohol consumption on the rise on Vancouver Island

According to the report, in 2018, the average south Islander, aged 15 years or older, drank 11.2 litres of alcohol throughout the year.

This amount is defined in “absolute alcohol” levels, a technical term used by health organizations which measures how much ethanol is in each type of drink. Each litre, under this definition, would equal 58 standard drinks, so with this calculation 11.2 litres would amount to approximately just over 638 bottles of beer, or 104 bottles of wine.

READ ALSO: Statistics predict Vancouver Island residents will drink more than 12 litres of alcohol in 2020

The amount of alcohol consumption is up slightly from last year, which was 11.1 litres.

This is compared to the provincial average of 9.4 litres per person and the national average of 8.2 litres per person.

Additionally, in June, 28 per cent of B.C. residents and 36 per cent of families with children reported an increase in their alcohol consumption due to the pandemic.

To read the full vital signs report visit victoriafoundation.bc.ca.


 

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