Canadians spend over $2 billion a year on alcohol. Additionally, according to the 2019 Canadian Tobacco, Alcohol and Drugs Survey, three-quarters of Canadians aged 15 and older have consumed alcohol in the past year.
Posted at 3:00 p.m.
Although alcohol consumption is trivialized in our culture and communities, the disturbing reality is that alcohol is a major contributor to death and disability nationwide.
Let’s focus on cancer first. For more than 30 years, alcohol has been classified as a group 1 carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer, which puts it on the same level as substances better known as carcinogens such as tobacco and asbestos. . Evidence shows that regular alcohol consumption over time, even in small amounts, increases the risk of developing cancer. Alcohol consumption is estimated to be one of the three leading causes of cancer death globally and the consumption of any type of alcohol, be it beer, wine or spirits, increase the risk of developing at least seven different types of cancer.
Few Canadians know that there is a link between alcohol consumption and an increased risk of developing cancer.
Most of them do not realize that their consumption exceeds the safe limit, underestimating their consumption by up to 75%.
That’s why Canada’s low-risk alcohol drinking guidelines are so important. To be able to make informed decisions about how much we should or should not drink, we need to know and have access to the latest evidence-based advice.
The latest guidelines were published more than 10 years ago, and since then global studies on the effects of alcohol consumption on our health and well-being have multiplied rapidly. We know more about the impact of alcohol on cancer, but also on cardiovascular health, liver disease, mental health and chronic health problems. We have a better understanding of addictions, alcohol stigma, alcohol use and substance abuse issues, and the impact of alcohol on distinct populations. Health guidelines must evolve at the same pace as our learning.
Accessible guidelines
Armed with this new knowledge, the Canadian Center on Substance Use and Addiction (CCSA) has developed accessible, evidence-based guidelines to meet the diverse needs of Canada. In addition to conducting a comprehensive review of evidence from more than 5,000 studies, the expert team led a month-long public consultation to better understand Canadians’ experiences with alcohol and to establish our expectations from the guidelines. The team met with organizations focused on public health, mental illness, addictions and chronic disease, among others.
Now, CCSA offers a modern set of guidelines that reflect the best evidence currently available and the unique Canadian perspective. Adopting a ‘less is more’ approach, the guidelines seek to encourage people to rethink the way they consume alcohol.
Rather than specifying the limit of how much it is or is not safe to consume, the proposed guidelines establish a continuum of risk.
They aim to remove the shame and stigma from discourse about alcohol by informing people that the higher their consumption, the greater the health risks.
All Canadians are invited to provide comments on the proposed guidelines. They are encouraged to read a one-page summary of the guidelines and then complete a simple survey to share their thoughts. This public consultation is essential to ensure that once completed, the new guidelines will serve as a tool to help Canadians rethink the way they consume alcohol.
Let’s take the time to comment on the guidelines and take advantage of this propitious moment to stop and reflect on our relationship with alcohol on an individual and collective level. By better understanding the health risks of alcohol, we become empowered to make the changes that will allow us to live longer, healthier lives.