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House Hansard - 326

44th Parl. 1st Sess.
June 6, 2024 10:00AM
Context: House Hansard - 326 - Jun/6/24
Ms. Lori Idlout (Nunavut, NDP)
  • Jun/6/24 2:16:06 p.m.
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Uqaqtittiji, I rise wishing I could speak to happy occasions, knowing that June is National Indigenous History Month. Sadly, I stand to give rise to the despair that still exists. There are too many of us who are being lost to alcohol abuse. There are too many that I represent in Nunavut, and those indigenous peoples outside of Nunavut, who are affected by alcoholism. There are too many of us losing to alcohol. I am told, for instance, that $16.7 billion goes towards national health burdens such as addressing diseases, disorders and cancers due to alcoholism. We know, in Ottawa, that the Inuit population has reached about 5,000. Unfortunately, Inuit are disproportionately represented when it comes to substance-related deaths. I am aware that the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction works in partnership with Ottawa Public Health and Inuit service providers. They recommend implementing the “Canada’s Guidance on Alcohol and Health” report to address issues. I remind my fellow Inuit to stand strong, to help and love each other, even during the hardest of times. They can ask for help and make sure to have a hopeful future.
196 words
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