21 January 2020
“The RCMP estimates that alcohol intoxication is responsible for up to 95 per cent of callouts and arrests in the territory”
The Government of Nunavut’s Let’s Be Aware / Ujjiqsuqta campaign, which encourages responsible drinking, will visit four Kivalliq communities over the next few weeks.
Representatives will visit Rankin Inlet on Jan. 24 to 26, Chesterfield Inlet from Jan. 26 to 28, Coral Harbour from Jan. 29 to 31 and Naujaat from Feb. 1 to 4.
The campaign stems from the recommendations of a report called Halting the Harm, prepared in 2012 by the Nunavut Liquor Act Review Task Force, which found that many Nunavut residents consider binge drinking to be normal.
“According to Halting the Harm, this binge-drinking culture is responsible for a significant number of individual, family and social problems,” states the Let’s Be Aware / Ujjiqsuqta website. “Domestic violence is of particular concern, and overall violent crime rates are more than double the national average. The RCMP estimates that alcohol intoxication is responsible for up to 95 per cent of callouts and arrests in the territory.”