Quebecers and alcohol in 2021: Éduc'alcool Announces Champions of Moderation Across Quebec

MONTREAL, Aug. 26, 2021 /CNW Telbec/ - Across Quebec, the people of the Outaouais region top the list when it comes to following the recommended drinking limits, making them our 2021 champions of moderation. That first-place finish is even more impressive, considering that Outaouais ranked among the bottom third in the previous survey, after finishing second four years ago. Previous titleholders were Gaspésie-Iles-de-la-Madeleine, Laval, and Capitale-Nationale, which ranked first in 2019, 2017 and 2015, respectively.

The regional results were announced today by Hubert Sacy, Director General of Éduc'alcool. Laval and Centre du Québec tied for second place, with Bas-Saint-Laurent coming placing third.

The listing is the result of the broadest survey of Quebecers and drinking conducted by CROP for Éduc'alcool: more than 7,600 respondents were contacted in four waves of 1,900. The survey paints a detailed portrait of drinking in Quebec, region by region. At the bottom of the list is La Mauricie, which sadly posted the highest rate of excessive drinking.

Here is the complete list: (bracketed figures indicate rank in 2019, 2017 and 2015)
1. Outaouais (14 -2 - 5),
2. Laval (3- 1 - 5) and Centre-du-Québec (10 - 7 - 2),
4. Bas-Saint-Laurent (6 - 11 - 11),
5. Gaspésie-Iles–de-la-Madeleine (1 - 10 - 8) and Chaudière-Appalaches (10 - 11 - 9),
7. Estrie (2- 13 - 11) and Abitibi-Témiscamingue (10 - 16 - 15),
9. Lanaudière (3 - 7 - 14), Laurentides (7 - 13 - 11), Capitale-Nationale (15 - 5 - 1) and Montérégie (3- 6 - 2),
13. Montreal (8 - 3 - 4)
14. Saguenay Lac-Saint-Jean (16 - 7 - 9) and Côte-Nord (10 - 15 - 16)
16. Mauricie (9 - 4 - 5)

Not available: Nord-du-Québec

QUOTE

"This survey, which we have been conducting every two years since 2015, is not intended as a competition. It is designed to take a snapshot of drinking across Quebec and highlight the situation in each region. We hope it will lead all Quebecers, wherever they live, to reflect upon their drinking habits and modify them, as needed. The data about drinking and driving also serve to remind the Quebec government of the urgency of making Service in Action training mandatory for all restaurant and bar serving staff, as well as increasing the number of police sobriety checkpoints. These two are the most effective measures for reducing the incidence of impaired driving."

Hubert Sacy, Director General, Éduc'alcool

REGIONAL CLASSIFICATIONS

Éduc'alcool has also classified the regions according to different aspects of the survey. Here are the highlights:

Drinking habits and problems

• Outaouais, Laval and Montérégie have the lowest rates of excessive drinking (5 drinks or more on a single occasion).
• As in 2019, Capitale-Nationale is where people drink most frequently and most often at home; drinking frequency is lowest in Outaouais.
• Montreal is where people drink most in bars and while gambling or playing games of chance.
• Montreal also has the highest percentage of drinkers whose drinking has had a negative impact on their friendships, social relations and family life.
• However, Mauricie—closely followed by Montreal—is where we see the highest percentage of drinkers whose drinking has negatively affected their health.
• Abitibi-Témiscamingue reports the fewest problems of this nature:
• It is tied with Centre du Québec, Laval and Côte-Nord with regard to physical health;
• It is tied with Gaspésie-Îles-de-le-Madeleine with regard to family life;
• It stands alone at the top of the podium with regard to friendships.

Impaired driving

• The most responsible drivers and the lowest rate of impaired driving are in Côte-Nord, followed by Gaspésie-Îles-de-la-Madeleine.
• On the other end are Mauricie, followed closely by Montréal, Estrie, Centre-du-Québec and Laurentides, where the highest rate of impaired driving is found.
• People in Gaspésie-Iles-de-la-Madeleine, Abitibi-Témiscamingue and Côte-Nord see and go through the most police sobriety checkpoints.

Mixing alcohol and cannabis

• People who drink and also use cannabis use both together most commonly in Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean, Montréal and Chaudière-Appalaches.

Éduc'alcool and its slogan

• The Éduc'alcool slogan "La modération a bien meilleur goût/Moderation is always in good taste" is most widely known in Bas-Saint-Laurent, Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean, Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Centre-du-Québec and Chaudière-Appalaches.
• Éduc'alcool's credibility is highest in Bas-Saint-Laurent, Outaouais, Côte-Nord and Lanaudière.

The Éduc'alcool Moderation Trophy was first created in 2015, and the first recipient was Régis Labeaume, mayor of Quebec City. In 2017, it went to Laval mayor Marc Demers, and in 2019, Gaspé mayor Daniel Côté. The Trophy is now in the hands of Gatineau major Maxime Pedneaud-Jobin, who holds it on behalf of all the people of Outaouais.

Like the Stanley Cup or the soccer World Cup, which reside temporarily with the champions of that year, the Éduc'alcool Moderation Trophy is given to the mayor of the largest city in the region with the highest percentage of moderate drinkers. As it is presented every two years, it will stay at Gatineau City Hall until summer 2023.

SOURCE Éduc'alcool

and interviews: Camille Riverin, [email protected], 418 717-2403

Related Links

www.educalcool.qc.ca