Nova Scotia’s Minister of Health disagrees with the province’s chief medical health officer contention that there is a culture of alcohol abuse in the province.

The difference of opinion comes as Dr. Robert Strang releases a report on binge drinking at the province’s universities. Its release coincides with the start of frosh week, and comes just a week before the one-year anniversary of a 19-year-old Acadia student’s death after a night of heavy drinking.

“The most current research shows that over 50 per cent of university students in Nova Scotia admit to binge drinking at least once a month,” Dr. Strang told the Rick Howe show Thursday. ” That rate is significantly higher than the national average.”

Health Minister Dave Wilson doesn’t agree there is a culture of overindulgence in the province.

“I haven’t seen or heard anything to quantify that,” Wilson told reporters following Thursday’s cabinet meeting. “In any jurisdiction, you go to any university campus there is binge drinking. That’s why we need to continue to educate young people on the ramifications of drinking.”

Dr. Strang points to the extra police resources needed in the downtown bar areas and overcrowding at emergency rooms on weekends as signs of cultural alcoholism in the province.

Callers to News 95.7 agree over-consumption of alcohol is a problem in Halifax.

“I have friends of mine who drink, and are almost intoxicated, and they go downtown and they are served liquor downtown,” said John. “As far as the bars staying open until three or four in the morning, that’s ridiculous.”

“It’s a problem,” said David from Eastern Passage. “The people are going downtown already drunk. They’ve created this problem by allowing the hours they do.”

Don, a bartender for 25 years, said whether a patron has been drinking or not, if they want to drink, they will be served.

“You can come into a bar and look pretty damn sober if you want to drink bad enough,” said Don. “Maybe put in a portable breathalyzer, instead of ID, or with an ID, you have to blow into it. At least it would let you know that this guy is polluted.”

This week. Halifax Mayor Peter Kelly challenged the province to do more the curb alcoholism and over-serving in downtown bars.

Kelly said the Liquor Control Act needs to be more strongly enforced.