Use and Dangers of Alternative Medicines and Practices: Part 2

This Canada-wide poll was conducted by telephone between August 22nd and 24th, 1997, among a representative cross-section of 1,200 Canadian adults aged 18 years and older.

The data were statistically weighted to ensure the sample's age/sex composition reflects that of the actual Canadian population according to the 1996 Census data.

With the Canadian-wide sample of 1,200, one can say with 95 percent certainty that the results are within ±2.8 percentage points of what they would have been had the entire adult Canadian population been polled. The margin of error will be larger within the various sub-groupings of the survey population.

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Seven in ten (70%) Canadians feel that provincial health care plans should cover the costs of alternative medicines and practices, according to the findings of a recent CTV/Angus Reid Group poll. Further, two-thirds (66%) of Canadians feel that the government should be advocating the use of alternative medicines and practices in order to potentially reduce the cost to the health care system. Finally, the majority (58%) of Canadians agree that rewards, such as special tax breaks, should be granted to those who take good care of their health; however, the majority (56%) of Canadians disagree that punishments, such as imposing additional health care charges, should be forced upon those who neglect their health through such things as smoking, poor eating and inadequate exercise.

These are the highlights of the findings of the of the Canadian-wide poll of 1,200 Canadian adults aged 18 years and older conducted between August 22nd and 24th, 1997:

Covering Alternative Medicines and Practices Under Provincial Health Care Plans

• Seven in ten (70%) Canadians agree either "strongly" (33%) or "somewhat" (37%) that "our provincial health care plans should pay for alternative medicines and practices the same way that they pay for treatments and medicines prescribed by doctors", in comparison to almost three in ten (27%) who either "strongly" (12%) or "somewhat" (15%) disagree. Three percent of Canadians are undecided.
• Agreement with this statement is predominant among residents of British Columbia (83%), who are also the highest users of alternative medicine (56%), and among Canadians aged 35 to 54 years (76%).

Cost Implications of Using Alternative Medicines and Practices

The majority (66%) of Canadians feel that the government should be advocating the use of alternative medicines and practices in order to potentially reduce the costs to the health care system.

• Two-thirds (66%) of Canadians agree either "strongly" (29%) or "somewhat" (37%) that "the government should encourage people to use alternative medicines and practices because it could help to reduce the cost of our health care system". Conversely, just under three in ten (28%) Canadians either "strongly" (13%) or "somewhat" (15%) disagree with this statement.
• British Columbians (73%) are more likely to agree with this statement, whereas older Canadians aged 55 years and over are disproportionately more likely to disagree.

Rewards and Punishments

Almost six in ten (58%) Canadians agree that special tax breaks should be offered as rewards to those who take good care of their health and, therefore, require less medical attention. However, the majority (56%) of Canadians disagree that punishments, such as imposing additional health care charges, should be forced upon those who neglect their health through such things as smoking, poor eating and inadequate exercise.

• Almost six in ten (58%) Canadians agree, either "strongly" (30%) or "somewhat" (28%) that "governments should reward people who take good care of their health with special tax breaks because they put less of a strain on our health care system", compared to four in ten (41%) who either "strongly" (25%) or "somewhat" (16%) disagree.
• Agreement and disagreement with such a 'reward' is consistent across demographic subsets of Canadians polled.
• The majority (56%) of Canadians polled either "strongly" (30%) or "somewhat" (26%) disagree that "people who are negligent about their health, such as smokers and those who neglect their health through poor eating habits and inadequate exercise, should be forced to pay extra to have access to the same health care as the rest of us". However, over four in ten (42%) Canadians either "strongly" (18%) or "somewhat" (24%) agree with this statement.
• Disagreement with such 'punishment' is more predominant among Atlantic Canadians (77%) and among the least affluent (60% among those with annual household incomes of less than $30,000). Agreement with such 'punishment' tends to be found among residents of British Columbia (53%), the most affluent (50% among those with annual household incomes of $60,000 or more) and among older Canadians aged 55 years and older (47%).

For further information, contact:

John Wright
Senior Vice-President
Angus Reid Group
(416) 324-2900