British Columbians are binge drinking more and eating fewer vegetables, according to a new report on public health in the province.

Findings released Friday by provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry suggest 16.5 per cent of people aged 12 and older engage in "hazardous drinking," which is defined as downing at least five drinks in an outing for men or four drinks for women.

"We've seen, particularly in young adults, that binge drinking has become a phenomenon," Henry told CTV News. "We need to address that. If we can help people have a healthy relationship with alcohol and be mindful of how they use alcohol, that's going to be something that will help them later on in life."

The report found boys are more likely than girls to report both alcohol and cannabis use before the age of 15, and that men are more likely to binge drink overall – but women are catching up.

In addition, Henry said fewer and fewer people are eating fruits and vegetables at least five times a day. The latest numbers suggest just four in 10 British Columbians are reaching that target.

Henry said vegetable eating is a "proxy measure" that can be suggestive of an overall healthier diet, which is a cornerstone of public health.

"The food we eat affects our health, growth and development," her report reads. "A healthy diet helps protect against malnutrition and chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart disease."

Women are more likely than men to eat fruits and veggies at least five times as day, according to the report, but there has been an overall downward trend for both groups.

 

The government has set targets of getting binge drinking down to 14 per cent of the population and vegetable eating up to 55 per cent by the year 2023, which it hopes to achieve through a number of programs and initiatives such as education campaigns targeting youths.

Declining mental health

There are also troubling trends in British Columbians' self-reported mental health. The number of residents aged 12 and up who said they experience positive mental health has dropped to 68.4 per cent, according to Henry's report.

“This is one of the measures where we are actually falling behind in Canada and the rest of the world," she said Friday.

Though some of that can be addressed through exercise, healthy eating and better sleeping habits, Henry said there are other variables that people have much less control over – such as education and finances.

Vulnerability to mental health issues is also linked to "family history, genetic predisposition, exposure to violence and trauma, and lack of social support," her report reads.

But despite some worrying findings, British Columbians' health is improving in many important measures, and the province is already doing better than most of the country in some key areas.

B.C. still boasts the lowest rate of heavy drinking and second-highest frequency of fruit and vegetable consumption, despite the findings of Henry's report, as well as the highest life expectancy and highest rate of physical activity.

Smoking during pregnancy, preventable deaths and rates of the hepatitis C and diabetes are all on the decline as well, though Henry noted not everyone is benefiting from those improvements.

"There's much to be optimistic about in this report, but the good health we enjoy in British Columbia is not shared equally," she said.

"For the most part there is a decreased health experienced by people in rural and remote areas in British Columbia, and those are things we need to address."

Henry said she will be releasing a separate review on alcohol policy and the impacts of the ongoing opioid overdose crisis.