Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Today, I would like to highlight the excessive use of alcohol and drugs since the onset of the coronavirus outbreak. This period of time, and the government's need to assist residents to prepare for self-isolation measures, brought huge sums of money into the hands of many residents. This period of time also brought a lot of idle time as many working class residents were off work and at home, bringing the whole of the Northwest Territories to a standstill.
Mr. Speaker, I nor anyone else can dictate what residents should or should not do with their time and money. Unfortunately, many chose to turn to the bottle and the assortment of drugs available to them. There are reports that the RCMP and health centre staff were run ragged during this period, all related to excessive alcohol and drug use. We are not out of the woods yet in relation to this virus as there may be a second and possibly a third wave.
Mr. Speaker, I can't pinpoint the reasons where all this excessive alcohol and drug use amongst the people of the Northwest Territories. I am almost certain many in our health care system can. The leaders in my riding have expressed concerns with the ongoing problems with alcohol and drugs. They see the GNWT having no regard to strict restrictions on alcohol sales and were quite taken aback with the dial-a-bottle program. Therein lies a major contributor to the alcohol and drug problems faced by many residents of the Northwest Territories and especially our Indigenous communities. I would also like to note that the many residents who do not use alcohol and drugs, lead a healthy lifestyle, are equally affected by this dilemma. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.