The Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research at the University of Victoria has released a report that says substance use cost the B.C. economy $4.9 billion in 2014, or $1,050 per person, regardless of age. File photo courtesy CBC.
Substance use in B.C. cost the provincial economy nearly $5 billion four years ago.
That’s according a new report by the Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research (CISUR) at the University of Victoria, that says alcohol was the leading substance for overall costs at $1.935 billion, or 40 per cent.
That’s followed by tobacco at $1.27 billion, then opioids at $502 million, cannabis use at $402 million and cocaine at $278 million.
Overall costs by substance in 2014, according to a summary report by the University of Victoria’s Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research (CISUR).
The report says the total economic cost averaged $1,050 per British Columbian, regardless of age.
Among cost categories, the report says lost productivity was the most affected by substance use at $1.9 billion, which accounts for 38 per cent of all costs.
Lost productivity is based on the lost value of work due to substance use death, long and short-term disability from missing work and impaired job performance.
Healthcare costs amounted to a third of overall costs at nearly $1.6 billion.
“Substance use contributed to 49,000 hospital admissions, over 8,500 deaths and 102,000 years of life lost in B.C. during 2014, mostly due to legal substances,” CISUR Director Dr. Tim Stockwell said in a release.
Stockwell says CISUR is working with the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction (CCSA) to update cost estimates to 2016 and with the provincial ministry of health to report regional variations.
The provincial and territorial findings are the second phase of a project to monitor costs and harms of substance use in the country.
This summer a report highlighted substance use cost Canadians $38.4 billion in 2014.
An online data visualization tool for people to look at the costs and harms fo substance use is the next phase of the projects, tentatively scheduled for release early next year.
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