Life habits

Acute alcohol poisoning occurs frequently in Québec. Between January 1 and November 26, 2017, provincial emergency rooms admitted 2,332 young people age 12–24 for acute alcohol poisoning. That is equivalent to 214 cases per month, 49 cases per week, or 7 cases per day.

These cases are serious. One quarter of young people age 12–24 admitted to the emergency room at the…

At the request of the Ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux, the Institut national de santé publique du Québec conducted a study entitled Étude clinique sur l’état de santé buccodentaire des élèves québécois du primaire 2012-2013 (ÉCSBQ) [clinical study on the oral health of Québec elementary school students in 2012-2013]. This study assessed the oral health status of Grade 2 and…

Since 2002, the number of road traffic deaths in Québec has been falling steadily, even though the number of motor vehicles on the road – automobiles, in particular – has increased considerably. Nevertheless, the use of alcohol, drugs and medications is frequently cited as a cause of road traffic accidents by public authorities, since these psychoactive substances have the potential to…

• Cannabis is the most commonly consumed illegal substance. The current system of prohibition and its sanctions do not prevent the use of this substance. The most recent data indicate that about 15% of the Québec population report having used cannabis in the past 12 months. More than half of those who have used cannabis report having used it less than once a month. Those who use it…

Analyses of the economic burdens related to various health issues affecting a population makes it possible to compare their relative significance. By documenting the costs linked to the use of health services and to productivity losses among individuals with health issues, these studies are invaluable to the decision makers who determine health priorities. 

Studies…

This report is the result of a mandate from the Ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux (MSSS) [Québec’s ministry of health and social services] to produce a knowledge synthesis focused on nine courses of action which pertain to “illicit” psychoactive substances and which have not been implemented, or have been implemented only on a limited scale or as a pilot project in Québec.

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• Each year in Québec, approximately 174 people commit suicide by drug overdose, of which at least 15 are the result of over-the-counter (OTC) drug overdoses.
• A substantial number of suicides and suicide attempts by overdose involve more than one substance.
• The number of suicides by OTC medication is under-estimated, since in cases where several drugs have been…

• The diet of Québec’s First Nations and Inuit has changed significantly in a few decades. It passed from a diet based on local natural resources to a mixed diet or one relying exclusively on commercial food.
• When adding a sedentary lifestyle and the social conditions of many families and communities, the commercially-based diet, which is high in refined sugars, trans fat, and…

• In Québec, more than half (52%) of secondary school students had not eaten junk food for lunch during the week preceding the study, while a little less than half (48%) had eaten junk food for lunch one or more times.
• Close to 40% of students in Québec public secondary schools have access to at least two fast-food restaurants within 750 metres.
• Consumption of junk…