Yukon NDP Leader Kate White recognizes there’s a problem with alcohol in the territory in that it’s the substance that causes the most harm to Yukoners.
“Yukon has had a long, painful relationship with alcohol consumption, and it hasn't been really well documented,” White told the News by phone on Dec. 3.
"I think it's going to be really hard to stop the cycle.”
Chief medical health officer Dr. Sudit Ranade’s key takeaways from the Yukon government’s first substance use surveillance report are that alcohol causes the biggest burden in the Yukon compared to other substances, including illegal drugs. Plus, the overall weight of substance use in the territory is heavier than the national average.
Ranade indicated alcohol use starts fairly early in the Yukon.
White grew up here.
She said young people need more positive outlets or things that keep them interested and engaged, both inside and outside of Whitehorse.
White figured that might be difficult in a place like Old Crow, which she said hasn’t had an ice rink for years.
“Recreation is hugely important for young people. It's hugely important to divert from other things,” she said.
White wants to see more education and conversations in school about responsible drinking and the risks of misuse and driving under the influence.
“The truth is that most Yukon kids will have consumed alcohol prior to turning 19 and, in some cases, will have deeply ingrained habits” before they reach the legal drinking age, she said.
White has been pushing for community-led managed alcohol programs since the Yukon government opened the territory’s first live-in managed alcohol program this fall. She suggested programs like Vancouver Drinker’s Lounge and Boyle Street Edmonton can help people avoid drinking "non-consumable" alcohol products like mouthwash, hand sanitizer and vanilla extract.
“That is critically important when we talk about our emergency room visits, and we talk about, you know, not just the cost to the individual, but the cost to society of our relationship with alcohol,” she said.
White agrees with the Yukon’s director of mental wellness and substance use services, who said that the possibility of going ahead with those kinds of programs would require community engagement and consultation.
“But shying away from community engagement and consultation doesn't, you know, isn't the answer either, right?” White said.
Some people had concerns or fears around the opening of a supervised consumption site in Whitehorse, White said, but that initiative has shown to be “really helpful and beneficial and hasn’t had the adverse effects on community that folks were worried it would.”
“I believe the same thing will happen if we looked at like a community-run managed alcohol program,” she said.
Yukon Party health critic Brad Cathers wants to know how many people are represented in the data as “frequently recurring” when it comes to paramedic pickups and emergency room visits related to substances.
Cathers said that data would help to better understand if this is a broad problem representing a large number of people.
He cited a 2011 auditor general’s report that referred to data from 2009-10 regarding drug and alcohol admissions to the emergency room at the Whitehorse General Hospital.
Back then, there was a total of 1,744 alcohol-related emergency room admissions, which works out to about 4.8 admissions per day. Those visits represented 679 individuals, which indicates some repeat clients. The report labels some clients as “heavy users of the emergency room” with 22 clients accounting for 567 or 33 per cent of admissions. Three people were admitted 60 or more times, which is more than once a week. At the time, the numbers were similar for illicit drug use, per the auditor general’s report.
Cathers suggested the top doctor’s recent comments reported in the News reflect what the Yukon Party has been saying: more work is needed around treatment and prevention.
“There really needs to be a focus on working with health professionals and with communities, on understanding what the gaps are in those communities and what potential solutions are to help increase the chances of keeping youth away from falling into unhealthy substance use patterns,” Cathers said.
Citing one of two reports the Yukon government had done about the Whitehorse Emergency Shelter at 405 Alexander St., Cathers said clients reported being turned away from addictions treatment programs, primarily detox.
“That is an example of where clearly the government is not fully meeting even the interests of people who are trying to break free of an addiction, and that the capacity needs to be expanded in those programs in the right areas, to ensure that when Yukoners with a substance abuse problem are trying to get help, that that help is actually available,” Cathers said.
The Yukon government declared a substance use heath emergency in January 2022. The territory has a substance use health emergency strategy that contains 43 recommended actions.
Health and Social Services Minister Tracy-Anne McPhee wasn’t available for interview this past week while travelling to Ottawa for Yukon Days (meetings with Yukon First Nations leaders and federal ministers in Canada’s capital). An email statement attributed to McPhee indicated the title of the emergency reflects the significance of alcohol and addiction.
“Addressing alcohol-related health issues is a serious priority for our government, and we recognize there is always more to do,” McPhee said.
McPhee didn’t directly respond to the News’ questions about whether she will be requesting more money from the federal government for alcohol-related programming and initiatives to counter misuse.
Her statement doesn’t indicate if the territory will up the money and resources it puts into the area.
The statement notes the government is taking actions though prevention and education programs like Planet Youth (a five-year pilot project to prevent youth from using substances based on the Icelandic prevention model) and targeted interventions like the managed alcohol program and withdrawal management services.
Other initiatives outlined include the Yukon First Nations Land-Based Healing Fund, which launched in 2023 with $9 million over three years. A joint press release between the Council of Yukon First Nations and the Government of Yukon indicates land-based healing means reconnecting individuals to traditional teachings, culture and the land.
An email statement from Thibaut Rondel, who works in communications for the territorial Department of Health and Social Services, states that no specific Yukon government programs are failing to meet objectives in this area. Rondel said programs get reviewed regularly to make sure they’re meeting the strategy’s goals.
Contact Dana Hatherly at dana.hatherly@yukon-news.com
