Townshippers more prone to drinking and driving than rest of Quebec

Arecent survey conducted on behalf of alcohol awareness organization Éduc’alcool by the CROP agency reveals that 14 per cent of Townships drivers say they drove after consuming more than the legal limit of alcohol, twice the provincial average and up from 5 per cent in 2015.

In addition, only 21 per cent of Estrie residents surveyed encountered a police roadblock for alcohol over the same period, compared with an average of 29 per cent provincially.

“This is a significant setback,” says Éduc’alcool Director Hubert Sacy. “That’s worse than we thought. Either Townshippers were suddenly struck by a wave of honesty, or they are more likely to get behind the wheel when intoxicated. It’s not reassuring.”

Sacy admits, however, that statistics on the number of alcohol-related police blockades are not reliable. “There are several police forces in the area and these figures are not coordinated anywhere. If more people notice them in other regions, it is either because they are better placed or because there are actually more.”

Sacy adds that, “If we have to give ourselves a job for the next year, it will be to pay attention to driving while impaired.”

In particular, he suggests making the “Option Service” course mandatory. “The course trains staff in bars, restaurants, and hotels to prevent serving alcohol to people who are intoxicated.” He also said we have to increase the number of police blockades in the region. “When you have the perception that you are more likely to win the lottery than to get caught in a roadblock, you tend to take risks. Those who are on the verge of legality do not question the number of demerit points they will accumulate or the amount of the fine they might receive, but whether they are likely to get caught.” Surprisingly, drivers in the Estrie are more likely than the rest of Quebecers to believe they might be stopped for drinking and driving. Likewise, 96 per cent of respondents say they know the slogan “Moderation tastes better.” “They just have to put it into practice,” he says.

This is the second study of this kind that Éduc’alcool has carried out, and seeks to paint a portrait of alcohol consumption in each Quebec region. “In general, the portrait of consumption in Estrie is quite typical. There is no reason to panic.”

Overall, 81 per cent of Townshippers report having consumed alcohol in the past year, a little less than the provincial average of 83 per cent. They are also less likely to drink in public, in a restaurant, bar, or disco. They consume more at home. In terms of frequency of consumption, respondents reveal an average rate of 1.4 times per week, perfectly in line with the provincial average. Compared to the 2015 survey, beer consumption has declined slightly in favour of spirits, which also corresponds to the provincial trend.

Finally, 6 per cent of Townshippers believe the legal alcohol limit for driving is too high while 26 per cent believe it isn’t severe enough.

The survey was conducted between February 20 and March 20, 2017 and analyzed 2,700 responses across Quebec. The maximum margin of error for results by region is 8 percentage points.