Some alarming stats from the Grey Bruce Health Unit.
The Health Unit has released a report that outlines the health status of residents in Grey and Bruce — and it paints a frightening picture.
The report used some data from an earlier study that shows Grey Bruce has a very high rate of preventable injuries.
Those include falls, motor vehicle crashes and work related injuries.
However, Medical Officer of Health Doctor Hazel Lynn says they now have a falls prevention program in place that appears to be paying dividends.
Doctor Lynn says education is the key, and they plan to address those high injury numbers through programs in the future.
Risk factors are also to blame, as 24 per cent of Grey Bruce residents are classified as “heavy drinkers” — the provincial average is 16 per cent.
Doctor Lynn says 50 per cent of motor vehicle deaths in Grey Bruce involve alcohol.
Twenty-two per cent of residents smoke, while the Ontario average sits at 20.
Our obesity rate is at 62 per cent, a 10 per cent increase on the rest of the province — and hypertension rates are at 22 per cent compared to 17.
Heart disease is also the number one cause of death, as 2005 stats show that 34 per cent of deaths in Grey Bruce can be attributed to heart problems.
