Mandated by Health Canada, the Canadian Center on Substance Use and Addiction (CCSA) has updated the Low-Risk Alcohol Drinking Guidelines. The document is currently subject to public consultation in which the public and organizations are invited to participate.
Posted at 3:00 p.m.
Éduc’alcool welcomes the initiative, which puts the subject of alcohol consumption and health at the forefront. In our opinion, it is essential that the directives conveyed be perceived as acceptable by the population to prevent them from being counterproductive in terms of prevention. We have so far limited our comments; we preferred to leave time for our scientific advisors to study the document thoroughly. Thus, we will submit our observations and request clarifications on certain aspects within the framework of the public consultation.
In particular, our experts believe that, as in other countries that have produced guidelines, the recommendations should be presented on a daily basis, rather than weekly.
Not drinking during the week, to drink all drinks on Saturday, is not recommended!
In addition, they believe that the guidelines would benefit from being clearer and more detailed on alcohol and pregnancy.
That being said, remember that Éduc’alcool does not determine low-risk drinking guidelines, but integrates them into its campaigns based on scientific facts to inform the public with rigor. Our mission is to inform Quebecers about alcohol consumption in such a way as to encourage them to behave moderately and thoughtfully. It is important that the messages conveyed be valid and clear, with examples, in order to promote understanding and then the adhesion of the population.
More than 30 years of equipping Quebecers
Beyond the proposed new directives, Éduc’alcool has been committed for more than 30 years to raising awareness among Quebecers of all ages of the impact of alcohol consumption, as evidenced by our numerous scientific publications on the link between alcohol and the risk of cancer, alcohol and pregnancy or even alcohol and cannabis.
Proof that awareness efforts work, recent data indicates that 87% of Quebecers think it is not acceptable to drive after having had two drinks in the last hour.
We have recently refocused our approach in order to help Quebecers, especially young people, to become aware of their relationship with alcohol, from an educational and benevolent perspective.
We need to equip consumers and let them be in control of their choices, without stigmatizing them.
We believe that it is by first generating awareness that changes in behavior can really take place. We are developing an easy-to-use tool to assess one’s level of relative risk from alcohol based on individual vulnerabilities.
In this perspective, we want the directives to be clear, solidly supported, include collective and individual measures, and appeal to people’s intelligence. The messages must be adapted to the target populations and their consumption habits.
Regarding the CCSA’s proposal to display, on the containers, the number of standard drinks contained according to the alcohol level, we believe that it is entirely relevant. However, displaying the number of standard drinks is not an end in itself, and efforts to raise awareness should be continued. Éduc’alcool is also evaluating the possibility, in the short term, of having a tool to educate on the subject.
At Éduc’alcool, we consider that the conscious and moderate consumption of alcohol as well as the prevention of abuse are elements favorable to the health of the population. In this perspective, we will continue to educate and sensitize Quebecers on the immediate and long-term risks of alcohol consumption with an approach always based on science to inform the public with rigor.