The chief medical health officer for Vancouver Coastal Health says the B.C. government should consider the potential health impacts of opening more than 190 government liquor stores on Sundays.
Dr. Patricia Daly's call for caution is in reaction to the B.C. Government and Service Employees' Union's proposal to have the government open all of its 197 liquor stores on Sundays.
"I'm not suggesting it's something that shouldn't happen but we need to think of both sides of this before the government would make this kind of decision," Daly told the Courier.
Daly said research conducted in 2008 by provincial medical health officer Dr. Perry Kendall showed the opening of more private liquor stores in B.C. led to a higher consumption rate of alcohol by residents.
"There's a definite relationship," she said. "And there's lots of other research that shows accessibility increases consumption and harms."
The number of private liquor stores in B.C. increased from 786 in 2002 to 1,294 in 2008. Kendall's research showed consumption increased from 475 drinks per year to 525 between 1998 and 2008-the highest rate in Canada.
The BCGEU is proposing opening government liquor stores on Sundays as part of its public-sector contract talks with the B.C. government, which has said wage increases cannot be funded through cuts to services or raising fees.
The union's pitch is that opening government liquor stores on Sundays would generate revenue for the government, which could be used to pay government workers belonging to the BCGEU.
Currently, there are 197 government liquor stores in the province, five of which are open on Sundays, including a so-called signature store at 39th and Cambie. Vancouver has 21 government liquor stores.
Darryl Walker, president of the BCGEU, said he doesn't believe opening government liquor stores on Sundays would lead to more consumption of alcohol.
Walker pointed out the availability of alcohol already at private liquor stores on Sundays and suggested the number of private stores has substantially increased from the 1,294 counted in 2008.
"This is not new," he said of the union's proposal. "We have proposed in the past the opening of [government] stores on Sundays. Quite frankly, the hours of public stores have been cut considerably as the hours of private stores are increased and enhanced."
The abuse of alcohol and its role in the Stanley Cup riot was identified in all reviews conducted by the Vancouver Police Department, the City of Vancouver and the B.C.-government ordered independent review authored by Douglas Keefe and John Furlong.
The report by Keefe and Furlong recommended the B.C. government step up a public education program to bring greater profile to the dangers of alcohol abuse, binge drinking, underage drinking and public intoxication.
Daly told Vancouver city council in September that alcohol abuse was a bigger and more expensive problem for society than illegal drugs-$14.6 billion in health and social costs annually in Canada.
Walker said opening more government liquor stores "probably means more responsible use and more responsible sale of alcohol," adding union workers are trained to ensure minors and drunks will not be sold alcohol.
"We've been very, very proud of our record over the years," he said.
The BCGEU represents 25,271 B.C. government workers, including liquor store employees, corrections officers, social workers, conservation officers and rehabilitation workers employed at Riverview Hospital and the Forensic Psychiatric Hospital.
mhowell@vancourier.com
Twitter: @Howellings
