Nunavut needs plan as public intoxication gets ‘significantly worse’: MLA
Lightstone calls for strategy to help Nunavummiut suffering from addictions, mental health issues
Iqaluit MLA Adam Arreak Lightstone says an increase in public intoxication requires a strategy from the Government of Nunavut to address the complex issues of mental health and addictions and public safety. (Screenshot courtesy of the Nunavut legislative assembly)
Citing growing concerns over public safety, Iqaluit-Manirajak MLA Adam Arreak Lightstone says Nunavut needs a strategy to improve safety and address the treatment needs of people suffering from addictions and mental health issues.
In the legislative assembly Thursday, Lightstone said he’s hearing of increased concern over public safety during summer months in Iqaluit, especially in the area near the beer and wine store.
“I’ve heard a number of disturbing accounts from vulnerable constituents who are afraid to walk in this area of the city because they simply don’t feel safe in the presence of so many obviously intoxicated individuals,” he said Thursday, on the first day of the assembly’s fall sitting.
That includes accounts of seeing intoxicated people at public facilities like the Aquatic Centre, he added.
“These are places where families gather, and these are places which are supposed to be safe.”
Lightstone said public intoxication has grown “significantly worse in recent years” and called on the GN to come up with a plan to address the complex issues of drug and alcohol addictions and public safety.
He noted one possible solution to public safety could be increased use of private security staff, referencing what he said is an increase in the number of private security guards hired to work in different locations in Iqaluit.
“In speaking with constituents, it’s apparent this is a direct response to the state of public safety,” he said, adding the problem is not happening only in the territory’s capital.
Lightstone said private security “is going to be a growth industry in Nunavut” and called for the industry to be regulated in the territory.
In August, the Iqaluit Beer and Wine store posted a security guard in the parking lot, following a spike in assaults and robberies in the area over the summer.
In June, the RCMP in Iqaluit also issued a public advisory warning people to be “vigilant and aware of their surroundings” near the store after reports of people being robbed of their liquor purchases.
Lightstone thanked Finance Minister Lorne Kusugak, the GN minister responsible for the liquor licensing board, for his “quick action to combat concerns and providing a heightened security presence.”
Iqaluit city council unanimously passed a motion Sept. 12 to reduce the flow of alcohol and hard drugs in the community, Lightstone said. The motion called on a number of stakeholders to take action to reduce the amount of drugs entering Iqaluit by air.
I remember writing in the news comments when beer store first opened you are adding fuel to a already raging fire,Mr.Patterson proudly standing in line.
Nunavut’s permit submission for alcohol is a joke, sure we have a few stores, but the rest of Nunavut has to submit an order with a permit system. What $20 for a permit? then order your beer/booze/wine etc. and people only order what they can or order for bootlegging. and this leads to heavy drinking to get drunk, cause nobody drinks responsibly anymore. where before hand, “hello liquor store, I sent in my beer order” “ok we’ll send it right out”. never hand to ration or drink hard stuff to get drunk cause this is all I can order. I’m pretty sure people whom used to drink responsibly are now full blown alcoholics. Sad really, seeing people down south just walk into a store and not have to pay for a permit for just a drink, but we do, I’m going to get my moneys worth and down that mickey after a long week, and do it again week after week, no wonder we are so far gone already. I used to be a responsible drinker before I moved to Nunavut. Thats was 10 years ago, now I’m a drunk on weekends because I may not see a bottle or a beer for weeks on end. I asked for help, but was told there BC or Alberta, Que, no thx, Thank Nunavut.
There’s help available, regular meetings of Alcoholics Anonymous. Although, an Al-anon chapter would be wonderful too, for families of alcoholics.
AA has a very low success rate, and it depends on surrendering yourself to a ‘higher power’ which many simply don’t believe in.
If you are interested in a promising new area of study on addictions look into the efficacy of psilocybin treatments, which are very high. These are not entirely new, but were studied extensively in the 1950s and 60s, with much success. This was all derailed in the 1970s following Nixon’s ‘War on Drugs.’ Attitudes are changing however, last June the government of Canada invested a few million into studying the substance for the same reasons.
What is your source of stats regarding AA”s low success rate?
I wasn’t aware that, because it is an anonymous group, those stats were kept.
What is your definition of a “higher power” ?
American Addiction Centers:
“Addiction specialists cite success rates… between 8% and 12%”
https://americanaddictioncenters.org/rehab-guide/12-step/whats-the-success-rate-of-aa
22-37%.
.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/11/upshot/alcoholics-anonymous-new-evidence.html
The problem starts in early childhood. Those who are educated and skilled, and engaged in or preparing for rewarding employment, seldom become addicts, commit suicide or go to jail. The evidence from around the world is compelling, especially in Third World countries, that the schools can and must do the heavy lifting to enable next generations for the high-tech economy. For Inuit that should mean supervised homework, after-school activities and shops starting, ideally, in Grade 3.
ya, it’s just that easy, never mind the systematic racism , poverty , and trauma faced by the people that have addiction problems. Nunavut is neglecting the most vulnerable population. Population is like as long it’s not happening to me I don’t have to deal with them!
“Those who are educated and skilled, and engaged in or preparing for rewarding employment, seldom become addicts, commit suicide or go to jail”
You must be joking! Where did you get that information from?
Have you ever been to a public informational AA meeting?
Your educational, financial, or job status has nothing to do with addictions.
Children learn what they live. I have relatives who learned to drink watching and being around their families. But, I also have relatives who had parents who did not drink but then their kids started drinking and partying. Most of them became alcoholics and drug addicts. I have relatives and friends who have had or lived through trauma and some of them turned to alcohol or drugs to soothe their pain. My many cousins and my siblings included are either drinkers or tokers. They all smoke. The few nieces and nephews do not. Alcohol is damaging their lives. Many of their kids are not finishing school and they often turn to drinking beer, taking drugs to have a good time. They live to their next handout or the few government paycheques. The beer and wine store did not help. Chris Darcy and the likes of him who were in the GN several years ago worked hard to push forward the beer and wine store to open. Where are they now?
I’ve been in Iqaluit since 2015, and I can say with certainty that this issue has gotten worse over the past few years. I hear people saying that it’s because of the beer and wine store, maybe so, but last I checked, the beer and wine store doesn’t force anyone to drink. It’s like saying that the murder rate is up because of guns. There’s bigger issues at play here. and it’s going to take community leadership and some actual policing to get back on track. It’s time to start holding people to account. They’re adults, there should be consequences. As a community, our first reaction shouldn’t be to take away the freedoms of the majority to deal with the few; deal with the few.
no glass plz sniff dog got lots of pup
Lower the limit of alcohol. Make it credit card only purchases (if you can’t own a credit card, you’re probably not responsible enough to drink). Maybe we need public humiliation, tar and feather.
you need to tarred and feathered for making a dumb statment!
I didn’t realize that having a credit card proves that you are a responsible drinker. Thanks for the info!
I’ll drink to that!
OP wrote that if you’re not responsible enough to have a credit card, you’re likely not going to be a responsible drinker. It is a fallacy to derive from that statement that all credit card holders are responsible drinkers, as that was not said anywhere. It can be true that those not responsible enough to have a credit card will not be responsible drinkers, while a portion of those responsible enough to have credit cards will not be responsible drinkers, while the others will.
.
The logic in OP’s reasoning to only do credit card sales is that you’re eliminating a portion of the population likely not to be responsible drinkers. I don’t necessarily agree with that policy, but you’re twisting his/her words.
This is a housing and education issue.
It’s hard to be drunk “in private” when you live in a tarp tent.
But I’m sure our solution will be to deny this option to the majority of Iqaluit to spite the few that we aren’t willing or able to actually help.
Increasing private security is the needed response …. really? So two things on this:
1st the fact that one business in town means everyone else needs to hire security in town… that does not seem right.
2nd as stated the BNW store does have security but hey dont stop people from opening and drinking their beer just past the parking lot while still insight of the BNW even.
So how about if our MLA’s think increased security is the way to go, fund the Bylaw more so they have authority all over the place and can enforce public intoxication laws.
One more thing, also being drunk walking home or to the hotel should not be the problem. If you do something illegal’s while drunk on the walk then being drunk should not be used as an excuse. if anything it should increase the penalty.
Being drunk automatically provides intent. As we probably didn’t ‘accidently’ start drinking.
Hey “Putting It out There” being intoxicated in public is illegal whether you are walking home or beating somebody else up for their beer or wine. The problem is that no one with any authority has ever done anything about it because they have have bigger fish to fry.
It’s true there’s a public health issue.
At least concerning Iqaluit, half the town is alcoholic.
Some drink to soothe their traumas, others out of boredom, some follow the crowd, some are lonely, and others are just addicted. It’s a vicious cycle, and social interactions without alcohol are always tough. Temptation is everywhere.
The only use I see in it is the purchase of social peace.
From there, it’s nothing more normal that there are many and increasing outbursts
Antabuse (Disulfiram) is a drug (pill) taken to block the body from breaking down alcohol. When you are on Antabuse, if you drink, you get and feel really sick.
I wonder if this is used in Nunavut, and if not, why not? If someone is continually getting into trouble with the law while intoxicated, perhaps the courts can order them onto the drug.
At least, if you are supposed to be on Antabuse, and you fail to show up to take it, then you should not be allowed to order or buy alcohol.
The onus should be on the person to control their own behavior, not for society to cope with it.
I would love to see a program like that. It would make life easier for the idiots and the community. Yes!
The courts can NOT order anyone to take a drug legal or illegal.
Well, yes it can; and does John. Folks are still punished in Canada if they refuse to take doctor or government-prescribed medicine
As part of a probation order that the client has agreed to perhaps.
If you could refer me to some other case
Well, Paul. How about the recent courts upholding gov’t covid vaccine mandates by withholding transplant surgery for unvaccinated patients?
Posted On: June 8, 2023 FeaturedNews Releases
OTTAWA: The Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms regrets to announce that the Supreme Court of Canada has declined to hear Sheila Annette Lewis’ case against Covid-19 vaccine mandates for transplant candidates.
Today the Supreme Court of Canada released its decision on whether it would hear Ms. Lewis’s constitutional legal challenge against Alberta Health Services (“AHS”), an Alberta hospital and six doctors who removed her from a high priority organ transplant waiting list because she refused the Covid-19 vaccine.
Well Bob, I would suggest that this is not the same as ordering someone to take a drug,
The Supreme Court only upheld another decision to remove someone from the list of organ transplants.
The decision not to take the vaccine was the patient’s and the consequence of her decision was she didn’t meet the requirements.
Just another entry into the picture of making the North appear savagely. It’s the same old same old , from drunks lying around uselessly in Montreal, ottawa , and thru the north. Inuit are suffering in an altered image , not just because people are judging, that’s part of it, but it’s people actually representing Inuit, like or or not , out there up to no good for all Inuit , since Inuit are a small population anyway. The fact is when you see people actually behaving like idiots, it’s affecting everyone. It’s dangerous for love ones who are from the north, to be put into the same category as the idiots, should be or not be, it is fact. Behave well will help. We all should advocate for zero tolerance to drunken people everywhere.
Is this stinker program that continuously complains on regular basis? Just continue to brag about this and that! Any status on improving INFRASTRUCTURE’s and programs in remote Municipalities across Nunavut? Where is the VOICE? Who’s inquiring with the FED’s? NONE!?! The House stink’s with bureaucracy.
So your sayings it’s a poor thing get and get out do your job as you are saying a pro! Which won’t get anyway to be done!! LoL
counselling needs to be provided at all levels in each community affected by drug and alcohol addictions, High School level, college level, families in communities, hire councillors for each of these levels and not just one position, get the local Hamlets involved and local schools and colleges do interventions with all being directly affected.
Big thanks to NN for keeping big issues on the front page. Things are going to hell in the handbasket, I am sorry for the younger people who will never know the good life, a life of growing up in a supportive caring community. That is a fact of our time. Things have gone bad in the country not only in the north. Finding your own courage to stand up and be hear, the virtue courage enables – without courage all other virtues are lost/meaningless! Finding courage in alcohol, in a bottle or by substance use is a dependancy, a personal trial. When achieved it rewards the courageous soul. Godspeed to everyone in their need/dependacy. Think and act with the youth in mind, seek a good life in your thoughts and acts. To err is to be human, to forgive is devine.
Imagine all the problems in the world, wars , fires, floods, starvation etc. and here we are reading about a group of idiots who can’t handle a few drinks without going lunatic a tic.
Alcohol abuse is rampant across all ethnic and socioeconomic groups. To be alcoholic in a disadvantaged world of poverty, abuse, unemployment, hopelessness – just compounds the problem.
The medical profession, the legal profession, psychologists, HR specialists, etc should be trained so that their specialty provides the bets possible assistance to those who need and want assistance for alcohol and drug disorders.
Saved for the last. The best statement yet.
” the best possible assistance to those who need and WANT assistance for alcohol and drug disorders”
All of the well-intentioned do-gooders can’t help the ill if they don’t want the help.
Sniffing addicts, mostly likely Marijuana is safer than sniffing propane or torch. Making marijuana legal is more affordable to those addicts. They got 2 years old brains and should be known. Back than it was hard to find and they turned to other harmful ways of getting high.
Funny when we waste our time escusing the drunks, and loose ourself in statistic of people drinking among the world, or other waste of time reason to pardon the drunk from being a major pain of a problem, such as, its in their gen, mamma and pappa bear pass it to them, its because of heavy metal, no because of Rap with bad Lyrics, no alchoolisim ts a disease, whatever, whathever you smart people wasting your time and our on clemency. they are drunk, they dont care
“they are the problem”