In New Brunswick, the average cost to the health care system to treat those with substance abuse problems is $1,500, compared with the national average of $1,267. In New Brunswick we also rank higher in substance abuse and treatment of it. This represents a huge financial burden on government funding in health care costs alone. We're not even talking about the criminal justice system. Over 80% of my caseload are individuals who have come into conflict with the law and who are suffering from substance abuse problems. I feel that a lot of these problems need to be addressed in the community through programming and services that we can provide as non-profit.
Low education levels also have a significant impact on our target population. According to Literacy New Brunswick, we have the second lowest literacy rate in Canada. Specifically, 60% of New Brunswickers aged 16 and over are at the lowest levels of literacy. That's a huge problem. Families with low literacy levels are more likely to be sick more often; they're more likely to smoke; they're less likely to go to a doctor or an optometrist; they eat poorly; and they're more likely to be poor. Over 80% of incarcerated individuals have low literacy levels. Low education levels affect an individual's access to employment, which affects the quality of life for families. I think we need to examine responses that target multiple risk factors at the same time. We need to find ways to treat the individual as a whole person.
A response to poverty will take time, and measurable results may not be as immediate as we would like. I think measurable results definitely need to be flexible in order to capture good results. We can't just look at a black and white approach. What I mean is this: if we're looking at a person who's suffering from substance abuse or having an addiction problem, and we're counting that person only when he stays clean for the rest of his life, we're missing the boat. Slips are part of the substance abuse recovering process. If a person has a slip and doesn't go into a complete relapse, this ought to be captured. We ought not to count that person as a failure.
In these tough economic times, our target population really suffers when government cutbacks are made to services and programs. It has a huge impact on them and they lack the knowledge and skills to advocate for themselves. Their concerns may go unnoticed until a crisis occurs.
I want to talk a bit about the John Howard Society approach and some of the things we do in our office. I believe that in order to reduce poverty we need to address its root causes. It is important to connect with your community, your province, and also your country to understand the latest challenges and opportunities that exist for our target population. As an agency, we need to stay current with the latest research and implement the best practices and lessons learned into our programs and services. All the clients who walk through our door need to look at where they have been, where they want to go, and what they need to do to get there. We need to support them throughout that process.
Thank you.