Abstract
        The main findings of this study relate to the major negative associations of several spiritual and religious factors with drunkenness and drinking intensity.
        We present detailed data on the drinking experiences of Canadians, women, men, and parents, mothers, and fathers for the year 2002. Profiles and charts are presented for non-drinkers, controlled-drinkers, heavy drinkers (five or more drinks on one occasion less often than monthly), very heavy drinkers (five plus drinks monthly) and those drunk or hung over at work, school or while caring for children during the past year. For each of these groups data is presented for a wide range of subgroups defined according to many characteristics, dimensions of quality of life, and health of the body, mind and spirit.
        Though drinking, especially heavy drinking, is no doubt under-reported, Statistics Canada in 2002 still found that 8% of respondents reported that they were drunk or hung over while at work, school, or while caring for children.
        Another 9% reported having had five or more drinks per occasion monthly, 18% claimed they had five or more drinks less than monthly, 42% reported no heavy drinking (the controlled-drinkers), while 23% claimed to be non-drinkers. The corresponding percentages for parents are similar.
        Heavy drinking and drunkenness rates of men exceed those for women by a wide margin: for example, drunk, 12% vs. 4%; monthly heavy drinkers, 14% vs. 5%; and heavy drinkers less often than monthly, 21% vs. 16%. The corresponding rates for fathers and mothers are slightly lower: drunk, 11% vs. 3%; monthly heavy drinkers, 13% vs. 4%; except in the case of heavy drinkers less often than monthly, 24% vs. 17%.
        Preliminary analyses of drinking intensity are also provided for a number of groups of Canadians and the main results are as follows.
        In almost all subgroups examined - including ten provinces, ten metro areas, seven age groups, and several groups of parents and employed persons - we find that, after controlling for other variables, drinking intensity is higher for males than females, and also higher the greater the lifetime experience with smoking marijuana.
        The intensity is lower among conservative Christians and non-Christians than the reference liberal Protestants, lower also among several groups of the religiously unaffiliated, but higher among several groups of non-French Roman Catholics, and about the same among French Roman Catholics.
        The intensity decreases with age in all decades of age except the 50s.
        In most subgroups, drinking intensity is higher in the Atlantic provinces, Manitoba/Saskatchewan, Alberta, and British Columbia than in the reference province, Ontario, but lower in Quebec for some of the groups including the total, the employed and men.
        Drinking intensity is positively associated with education in many of the subgroups, but unrelated in many others, and negatively associated in the case of fathers, and employed mothers working long hours.
        In a second model, worship frequency is found to be negatively associated with drinking intensity in 34 subgroups analyzed, including ten faith communities, all marital status groups, immigrants, five types of parents and eight occupation groups. The lifetime experience with marijuana is found to be positively associated with drinking intensity.