Yellowknife (Oct 09/06) - The Northwest Territories boasts the biggest booze spenders in the country, according to a recent study from Statistics Canada.

In 2005, residents spent just over $40 million on beer, wine and spirits, the research agency reported Wednesday. That translates into $1,241 for each person over 15, a figure about twice the national mark.

The total sales figure is the highest in six years. In 2000, the NWT Liquor Commission reported sales of $29.6 million. By 2004, total sales had climbed to $36.67 million, compared to $35.96 million in 2003.

"(The numbers) are an indication of a huge problem," said Major Glenda Mac Kenzie from the Yellowknife branch of the Salvation Army.

"You just have to walk up and down main street to see the effect of alcohol."

Addictions, like alcohol, drugs and gambling, are the driving force behind dozens of social problems, including homelessness, said Mac Kenzie.

The government-run NWT Liquor Commission, which sells alcohol to all bars, restaurants and liquor stores in the territories, made a $20.5 million profit during 2005, according to StatsCan.

Meanwhile, an April report from the Canadian Centre for Substance Abuse stated that alcohol drained $40 million from the territorial economy in 2002, the most recent year numbers are available.

In tabulating the costs, researchers took into account lost work hours, policing costs and hospital stays, among other factors.

The beverage of choice in the Northwest Territories is beer, with sales from liquor stores and distributors topping $19 million in 2005. Hard alcohol came a close second at just over $16 million while wine placed third at $4 million.

The NWT led the nation in per capita spending, followed by the Yukon and Newfoundland and Labrador. Nunavut, where alcohol is tightly controlled, spent the least.

The high cost of living in the North contributes to the above-average spending on alcohol, said liquor commission general manager Kyle Reid.

"Spending is not the same... as consumption," he said Wednesday from Hay River. "It's an indicator, but not a true indicator."

Social groups, like the Salvation Army, have battled to keep up with the fallout from alcohol addictions, said Mac Kenzie. Several non-profits offer counselling and residential treatment programs, but Mac Kenzie said it can be difficult to find enough money to support their efforts.

"We struggle," she said.

Nationally, Canadians lived up to their reputation as beer drinkers, with over $8 billion in sales during 2005, doubling the totals for wine and hard alcohol. The $16 billion spent on booze represents a 60 per cent increase in the last decade, according to StatsCan.