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Winter 2008/09 | Vol 12 No 2

Note from the Editor

Canadians love to drink. In fact, alcohol is the psychoactive substance of choice for nearly 80 per cent of Canadians over age 15, according to the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse (CCSA). But while most people tend to drink moderately, consuming on average one or two drinks a day, about

7 per cent, or 2.3 million people, engage in problem drinking. It’s a problem that costs jobs, relationships and health. The CCSA estimates that the economic cost of problems associated with alcohol use in 2002 was $14.6-billion. A 2008 study by the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health reported that alcohol problems cost each Canadian $463 per year, and that the direct health care costs associated with alcohol use problems exceed those of cancer.

This issue of CrossCurrents explores alcohol treatment and recovery. Treatment and recovery support options seem to be growing, as reflected in the emergence of evidence-based treatments that include brief interventions and new pharmacotherapies and the proliferation of addiction recovery mutual aid groups well beyond Alcoholics Anonymous. The stories in this issue cover some of these innovations.

We begin the issue with an overview of pharmacologic and psychosocial treatments and discuss the implications of newly emerging pharmacotherapies for non-prescribing treatment providers. Next, Helen Buttery’s story challenges mutual aid organizations and treatment providers to work more closely together. Patricia Nicholson discusses unique issues in diagnosis and treatment among people with co-occurring fetal alcohol spectrum disorder and mental health or substance use issues. These are followed by two remarkable personal stories of hope, inspiration and success. Anne Ptasznik then delves into the heated debate about harm reduction around alcohol with Aboriginal populations. Dr. Tomislav Svoboda finishes this issue with another controversial topic – wet shelters for men who are homeless.

In this issue of CrossCurrents you will also find a new feature: Myth Busters will be a regular column that distills the facts from the fiction related to that issue’s focus topic. It is a column that aims to contribute to the stigma-fighting efforts of the Mental Health Commission of Canada. Reflecting this issue’s theme, the inaugural column focuses on myths around alcohol.

Enjoy this stimulating issue of CrossCurrents. Send us your comments and ideas so that we can continue to cover the issues you want to know about.

Hema Zbogar
tel 416 595-6714
hema_zbogar@camh.net