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Mental Health & Substance Use Categories
- Mental Health
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Well Being
- Notice: Savour the Moment
- Belly-Breathing
- Five Ways to Well-being
- Connect: Build Positive Relationships
- An Active and Healthy Brain
- Keeping an active and healthy mind
- Keep Learning: Open Your Mind
- Keeping Good Mental Well-Being as You Age
- Social Connections
- Depression in Older Adults
- Preventing Elder Abuse and Neglect
- Mental Health and Well-Being
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Substance Use
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Alcohol Use
- Alcohol and Aging: Getting Help
- Alcohol and Aging: Know the Facts
- Alcohol and Aging: More Information
- Alcohol and Aging: Your Health
- Alcohol and the Human Body
- Alcohol and Youth
- Alcohol Sense Videos
- Drinking and Disease: Risks for Men
- Drinking and Disease: Risks for Women
- Drinking and Your Health: Why Moderation Matters
- Drinking, Driving, the Law and Young Adults
- Excessive Drinking and Your Body
- Green Light Alcohol Combination
- How the Human Body Processes Alcohol
- Moderate Alcohol Consumption and Low-Risk Drinking
- Red Light Alcohol Combinations
- Risks and Health Effects of Drinking Alcohol
- Risky Drinking
- Yellow Light Alcohol Combinations
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Parenting and Substance Use
- Building Kids’ Resilience
- Keep Having Conversations with Adult Children
- Keep Having Conversations with Kids
- Using Conversations That Teach Resilience: Adult Children
- Using Conversations to Teach Resilience: Kids
- Using Conversations to Teach Resilience: Teens
- How to Get Back on Track after Conflict
- Setting a Healthy Example for Your Kids
- Setting a Healthy Example for Your Teens
- Practicing Good Listening Skills with Teens
- How to Start a Conversation with Teens about Opioids
- Explaining Alcohol to Young Adults
- Opioids and Adult Children
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Alcohol Use
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Quitting Smoking
- Tobacco Use
- Why is Using Tobacco So Addictive?
- Seniors and Tobacco
- Quitting Smoking: Dealing With Weight Gain
- Smoking: Health Risk for Family Members
- Interactive Tool: Are You Ready to Quit Smoking?
- Making Positive Changes in Your Life After Quitting Smoking
- Quitting Smoking: Temptations and Cravings
- My Reasons to Quit Smoking
- Quitting Smoking: Getting Support
- Quitting Smoking: Helping Someone Quit
- Quitting Smoking: Preventing Slips or Relapses
- Nancy's Story: Quitting Smoking Takes More Than Willpower
- Nate's Story: Sick of Smoking
- Quitting Smoking: Coping With Cravings and Withdrawal
- Interactive Tool: How Does Smoking Affect Your Lifespan?
- Interactive Tool: How Much Is Smoking Costing You?
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Resources
- Alcohol & Drug Information Referral Service
- Anxiety Canada
- British Columbia Schizophrenia Society
- BC Mental Health & Substance Use Services
- Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research
- Canadian Mental Health Association - British Columbia
- Crisis Intervention and Suicide Prevention Centre of BC
- Crisis Line Association of BC
- Early Psychosis Intervention
- Family Smart
- Fraser Health Authority - Mental Health and Substance Use
- First Nations Health Authority – Mental Wellness and Substance Use
- British Columbia Responsible & Problem Gambling Program
- HeretoHelp
- Interior Health Authority – Mental Health and Substance Use
- Jessie’s Legacy
- Kelty Mental Health Resource Centre
- Kids Help Phone
- KUU-US Crisis Line Society
- foundrybc.ca
- Mood Disorder Association
- Northern Health Authority – Mental Health and Addiction Services
- Toward the Heart
- Vancouver Coastal Health Authority – Mental Health and Substance Use

Drinking alcohol can increase your risk of certain diseases and conditions. When it comes to women and alcohol, there are some benefits but also significant risks. Find out what they are.
The table below shows the how much risk of disease women less than 70 years of age face depending on the average number of standard drinks they have per day. It shows long-term decreased/increased risk for five diseases.
Points to note:
- At lower drinking levels, women experience greater benefits for some conditions such as stroke and diabetes (in green). However, when women drink more alcohol, their risk for these conditions rises faster than for men.
- At an average of just one standard drink per day, a woman’s risk of developing lethal cirrhosis increases by 139 per cent, compared to 26 per cent for men.
- Women 70 years of age or older face similar risk levels from drinking for all the listed illnesses.
Want to learn more? Take the Alcohol Reality Check
© Adapted from Éduc’alcool’s “Alcohol and Health” series, 2014. Used under license.
Important Phone Numbers
If you or someone you know needs help, call one of the numbers below:
- 9-1-1 if you are in an emergency.
- 8-1-1 for non-emergency information on how to access alternatives to toxic drug supply and substance use services
- 1-800-SUICIDE (1-800-784-2433) if you are considering suicide or are concerned about someone who may be.
- 310Mental Health Support at 310-6789 (no area code needed) for emotional support, information and resources specific to mental health.
- Kid’s Help Phone at 1-800-668-6868 to speak to a professional counsellor, 24 hours a day.
- Alcohol & Drug Information and Referral Service at 1-800-663-1441 (toll-free in B.C.) or 604-660-9382 (in the Lower Mainland) to find resources and support.
Featured Website
HeretoHelp provides information related to mental health and substance use. Their website includes a selection of personal stories, a library of self-help resources, and information about how to get help now.
Find Services and Resources
If you are looking for health services in your community, you can use the HealthLinkBC Directory to find hospitals, clinics, and other resources.
Featured Website
Looking for help with mental health and substance use? Start here wellbeing.gov.bc.ca
Find over 2500 service listings related to mental health and substance use supports, as well as many informational articles to support you on your pathway to wellbeing.