The last gasp

Number of Christmas tree farms in Canada: 4077

Number of trees produced annually on these farms: 4.5 million

Total cash receipts from Canada's Christmas tree industry, 1999: $71 million

Weight of press releases received by CMAJ's news and features editor from Jan. 1 to Nov. 9, 2000: 78 pounds (35.5 kg)

Distance covered by the 950 000-plus patient files stored at University Hospital, Laval, Que.: 6 to 7 km

Thickest file: 21 folders

Time needed to accumulate thickest file: 5 years

Date on oldest file: 1970

Average per capita distance travelled by Canadians in 1995: 17 000 km

Proportion of Canadian air travel going through Toronto's Pearson International Airport: 40%

Number of police-reported cases of air rage at Pearson in 1998: 256

In 1999: 283

Number of visitors to Quebec City during Winter Carnival: 1 million

Number of visitors to New Orleans during Mardi Gras: 8 million

Population of Quebec City: 700 000

Population of New Orleans: 500 000

Average daytime temperature in New Orleans in February: 18°C

In Quebec City: –6°C

Number of lights strung in downtown Ottawa as part of the “Christmas Lights Across Canada” program: 150 000

Number of these lights strung on Parliament Hill: 20 000

Number of lights strung on the Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center, New York: 26 000

Number of calories a 180-lb person would have to ingest daily to match the caloric intake of a hummingbird: 204 300

Proportion of Canadian men who are obese: 35.2%

Proportion of women: 25.8%

Proportion of Canadians who believe their nutritional habits could improve: 39%

Total value of snack foods (potato chips, etc.) shipped by Canadian snack-food manufacturers in a year: $1 billion

Total value of Canadian greenhouse vegetable production, 1996: $221 million

Per capita consumption of cranberries (processed and fresh) in Canada, 1966: 0.11 kg

In 1996: 0.76 kg

Proportion of Canadian students accessing the Internet from school: 78%

Proportion of US students: 59%

Proportion of students in urban China: 13%

Estimated number of Internet users worldwide, April 2000: 300 million

Number of Internet users worldwide who have made purchases online: 120 million

Proportion of Canadian Internet users worried about releasing personal information when they make online purchases: 80%

Number of units of blood required to treat the average gunshot wound: 15

For heart bypass surgery: 1 to 6

For brain aneurysms: 4

Annual loss to Canada's economy from unintentional injuries: $8.7 billion

Loss due to health care costs: $4.2 billion

Due to lost workplace productivity: $4.5 billion

Proportion of Canadian parents who consider their homes to be childproof: 91%

Proportion of same parents who do not lock up potentially deadly household cleaning products: 55%

Proportion of Canadians who take nutritional supplements to avoid illness: 63%

Proportion of Canadians who, given the opportunity, would like to live forever: 24%

Proportion of men who would take a drug to double their lifespan, despite serious side effects: 14%

Proportion of women who would take the drug: 6%

These data were compiled by Shelley Martin, physician survey analyst with the CMA's Research Directorate.