Data taken from the 2015 Canadian Tobacco, Alcohol and Drugs Survey (CTADS) indicates that 77% (23 million) of Canadians aged 15 and up self-reported consuming alcohol at least once in the past year. The report finds that alcohol is the highest used substance in Canada.
According to the following chart, taken from the report, alcohol ranks as the highest usage
against all age categories.
As previously noted, hospitalizations directly related to alcohol consumption amounted to
77,000 cases in Canada in 2015-2016. CCDUS reports also hospitalizations and the greatest
use of hospital resources relate to those with a primary diagnosis of alcohol-related
disorders in terms of number of stays, days in care, and related costs. In 2011, alcohol specific admissions for mental health were the highest drain on hospital resources versus all other substance abuse disorders taken together.