Once youth drivers hit the legal drinking age, police records show a "dramatic" spike in drinking and driving incidents, according to a new national study by a northern researcher.
The number of recorded incidents for men jump by 43 per cent, and 40 per cent for women in provinces with a legal drinking age of 18. In provinces, like B.C., with 19 as the legal drinking age, the spike lowers to 28 per cent for men.
For women, nationally it results in a 19 per cent overall rise of in such reports.
"We know that alcohol impaired driving crimes represent quite a serious health related harm in our society so I wanted to focus on that," said Dr. Russ Callaghan, a researcher with UNBC's Northern Medical Program.
"There's a national debate going on about the drinking age level," he said, adding 19 is recommended with public-health organizations suggestion of 21 as the ideal.
The Canadian Public Health Association has also argued that across Canada the legal drinking age be raised to 19. Alberta, Manitoba, and Qubec allow adults to start drinking at 18.
"This particular research would definitely support that recommendation to raise it to 19," he said. "For 21, personally I think that's a bit high from a public health perspective although from an individual liberty perspective that's debateable."
Callaghan's work has been referenced extensively in last week's report on Alcohol Consumption in Canada from the Chief Public Officer.
That report noted that the highest rates of impaired driving are among 20 to 24 year olds. Those in the 16 to 19 age range appear third on that list.
The number of fatal accidents involving alcohol have steadily decreased, but in 2012 it still accounted for a third of all fatalities in car accidents in Canada.
That's why the age range and legal limits are so important, Callaghan argued.
His data, pulling from the Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics, looked at youth between 15 and 23 years old.
And, he argued, later limits won't simply put off those spikes.
"It's really the question of delay. If you raise (the legal limit) are you just delaying the effect or will you reduce the effect?" he said.
"I think it would be reduced because if you think about some of the underlying patterns around brain development which are still going on in these young people in terms of impulsivity, ability to resist aggressive impulses. Also older age groups are beginning to be involved in the social adult roles - getting married or getting a full time job - which will in many ways disallow such risky behaviour."
The Chief Public Officer's report said minimum age laws, when enforced, are the most effective way to reduce underage drinking.
"Consequently, the impacts of alcohol on measures like mortality, overdoses, injuries, vehicle accidents and use of the health care system are also reduced.
If raising the legal age to 21 is unrealistic, there are other solutions that B.C. could consider, he said.
"A number of other provinces have done different ways... extending graduated licence to three years," he said, with a rule that new drivers can't have any blood alcohol content.
In Ontario and Quebec, he said, the legal age limit is one thing but the rules state drivers under 22 years can't have any alcohol in their system. Under B.C.'s system, a young driver could have a full licence before they turn 19.
This solves that problem.
Callaghan praised the Chief Public Officer's report for prompting a larger conversation around drinking habits, particularly for challenging societal norms.
"Alcohol consumption has a tremendous burden in our society we're not really recognizing. Alcohol is so much a part of our cultural narrative that we think it's harmless or that it's an ordinary commodity," Callaghan said.
"We need to reassess this... It's really a wake up call to take a closer look. Often these harms are taken for granted."
Callaghan's research, published this month in the international journal Addiction, is his latest in a series of studies examining alcohol-related legislation on a variety of harms, including young people's binge drinking, alcohol-related injuries requiring hospital-based treatment, and patterns of criminal victimization among youth.
It also differs from his study published in 2014 looking at Quebec's motor vehicle collision statistics of young drivers.
"If you look at the data what you see is a much more pronounced effect. It's much more sensitive to the drinking age. Here we have an outcome that is specifically drinking related."
Having his work referenced and used in policy papers is encouraging, he said.
"That's what we want to do is contribute to the larger policy discussion," he said.
"Even though they might seem small (and) they take so long to do so it's quite comforting reassuring and encouraging."
View the report online here.
