Alcohol consumption during and after the Atlantic Groundfish Strategy in a Newfoundland and Labrador community affected by the cod moratorium

Hemeon, Karen Jean (2007) Alcohol consumption during and after the Atlantic Groundfish Strategy in a Newfoundland and Labrador community affected by the cod moratorium. Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

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Abstract

During the early 1990s, the collapse of the northern cod stocks resulted in the mass unemployment and loss of income of tens of thousands of Newfoundlanders and Labradoreans. During the early years of the moratorium, individuals who were directly impacted by the collapse of the fishery were receiving income support through The Atlantic Groundfish Strategy (TAGS). The TAGS program ended in 1998, while the moratorium on the northern cod stocks continued. -- The continuation of the moratorium and the discontinuation of the TAGS program means that individuals who have been highly impacted by the cod moratorium may be more financially strained, and subsequently may be more stressed now than they were during the time when TAGS was in place. The misuse of alcohol has been linked with low income and stress, among other factors, and has been shown to have negative health consequences. The purpose of this study was to assess how the consumption of alcohol among drinkers and among specific groups of high-risk drinkers changed from the time when TAGS was in place to the time after the TAGS program had ended. The study included a random sample of 1352 persons in the Bonavista Headland area of Newfoundland and Labrador, of which 800 were drinkers. -- The study found that alcohol consumption among drinkers had decreased from the time when TAGS was in place to the time after TAGS was discontinued. Further, alcohol consumption had decreased among drinkers of low-income households, males and unemployed drinkers. Alcohol consumption had not changed among low-income individual drinkers, drinkers who were single, and drinkers who perceived themselves as stressed.

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