VANCOUVER — Nearly 15,000 Canadians die of alcohol-related issues every year and many of the associated harms include anxiety, depression and suicide. Experts say alcohol addiction is linked to more harms than many illegal drugs. The Canadian Institute for Health Information says 26 per cent of hospital stays among youth involved alcohol in a national study between April 2017 and March 2018. How much of alcohol revenue goes toward treatment and are Indigenous communities, where alcohol use and suicide rates are disproportionately high, included in strategies aimed at reducing use.

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