Marsi cho, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today, I wish to speak about alcohol and the effects on the NWT, especially on the Indigenous population. Alcoholism, however, is a disease that affects all people who have alcoholics in their families or social circles, whether it's a co-worker, friend, or somebody else in the community.
Mr. Speaker, let's begin with some facts. According to a recent study of the Canadian Institute for Health Information, in 2016, there were a total of 77,000 hospitalizations entirely due to alcohol, which is more than the number of hospitalizations due to heart attacks for the same year. Moreover, this study also determined that, of these hospitalizations, the NWT has the highest rate in the country, 1,300 hospitalizations per 100,000 people. It also found that the Northwest Territories has the highest proportion of people who reported heavy drinking.
Mr. Speaker, if it weren't for alcohol, there would be many families who would have their loved ones with them today. If this substance was not so destructive, there would be a good chance many people's lives would be different. Alcohol has either killed or shortened the lives of far too many people in our communities, not to mention the fact that social spending by our government would be greatly reduced if things were different.
Mr. Speaker, in the NWT, our correction facilities are filled with people who have committed crimes while they were drunk. Most of the inmates in the correction facilities wouldn't know what the inside of a jail looked like if they didn't drink alcohol.
Mr. Speaker, aside from all of the pain and suffering alcohol brings to the people of the Northwest Territories, it also has deep social impacts on our children that are in care. The cost of an inmate to sit in jail is one thing, but there is also the cost of the social purse, such as social housing, income support, social assistance, and foster care for their families.
Mr. Speaker, many people in my riding have experienced the effects of extreme violence due to alcohol. We must do what we can to not subject people to this violence. It is my belief and the belief of community leaders that bootlegging is a major contributing factor in accessing alcohol in the small communities.
Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.
---Unanimous consent granted