Peer supporter surprised at the prevalence of alcohol as drug-of-choice for individuals living with SUD
Mark Haggerty and Phyllis Sauve
Now sober, Mark Haggerty is a peer support worker with Rapid Access Addiction Clinic in BC. He was surprised to find that nearly a quarter of those who come to the treatment centre are alcohol-dependent.
“I was thinking that we were going to be more about the opioid use disorder,” he said. “You don’t hear about people using alcohol.”
He thinks alcohol addiction doesn’t get as much attention as other drugs, partly because it is legal and partly because it is such a widely accepted part of celebrations.
Alcohol is the biggest addiction crisis on the rise, and it can wreak havoc on the lives of those it touches. An estimated one in every 20 Canadians who drinks is dependent on alcohol, according to the Toronto-based CAMH (Centre for Addiction and Mental Health).
Read the whole article here: CBC.ca, Overcoming Addiction and the Holidays
