OTTAWA — A Senate committee wants drinkers to pony up a nickel a beer to help fund an ambitious, 10-year, $5-billion fund aimed at reforming mental health treatment in Canada.

In a sweeping report released yesterday, the Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology calls for a new excise tax on beer, wine and alcohol to pay for a transition fund to get mentally ill people out of hospitals and jails and back into the community.

“The impact of mental illness and addiction on Canadian society are enormous,” said Sen. Michael Kirby, the committee’s chairman. “More hospital days are consumed by treating mental illness than cancer and heart disease combined.”

Kirby said mental illness costs the country’s economy more than $15 billion a year, even by conservative estimates.

“We must create an atmosphere in which all Canadians feel as comfortable discussing mental health issues with family and friends as they do talking about physical illness,” said Kirby.

He and other committee members said they have received private assurances from the prime minister’s office and health minister’s office supporting the report’s recommendation to set up a Canadian Mental Health Commission arms-length from the government.

The new excise taxes would add five cents to the price of beer, 25 cents to a bottle of wine and 85 cents to a bottle of hard liquor.

Light beer would get a break under the plan, however, by lowering the 4% excise tax to 2.5%.