Canada’s Guidance on Alcohol and Health Report
Recently, Canada replaced its 2011 Low-Risk Guidelines (LRDGs) with new recommendations for alcohol
consumption based off the latest research. The original LRDGs suggested:
- Drinking no more than 10 standard drinks a week for women, with no more than two drinks a
day most days - 15 standard drinks a week for men, with no more than two drinks a day most days.
- No more than three standard drinks for women or four standard drinks for men on any single
occasion.
To refresh your memory, a standard drink serving size is as follows:
- Notes on a Standard Drink In Canada, a standard drink is 17.05 millilitres or 13.45 grams of pure
alcohol, which is the equivalent of:
– A bottle of beer (12 oz., 341 ml, 5% alcohol)
– A bottle of cider (12 oz., 341 ml, 5% alcohol)
– A glass of wine (5 oz., 142 ml, 12% alcohol)
– A shot glass of spirits (1.5 oz., 43 ml, 40% alcohol)
The new alcohol and health report, however, offers a drastically reduced amount of drinks, and state
that the risk of harm from alcohol is:
- Low for individuals who consume 2 standard drinks or less per week;
- Moderate for those who consume between 3 and 6 standard drinks per week; and
- Increasingly high for those who consume 7 standard drinks or more per week.
Other key points of the report include:
- Consuming more than 2 standard drinks per drinking occasion is associated with an increased
risk of harms to self and others, including injuries and violence - Above the upper limit of the moderate risk zone for alcohol consumption, the health risks
increase more steeply for females than males - Binge drinking is defined as consuming five or more standard drinks in one setting for men, or
four or more standard drinks in one setting for women - Men drink more alcohol than women and are more likely to drink in excess. Consequently, they
are more likely to be involved in alcohol-impaired driving collisions, to be treated in hospitals
and hospitalized for alcohol-related medical emergencies and health problems, to be diagnosed
with an alcohol use disorder and to die from alcohol-related causes - Alcohol is a leading preventable cause of death, disability and social problems, including certain
cancers (particularly breast and colon cancers), cardiovascular disease (contrary to popular
belief that red wine is good for the heart), liver disease, unintentional injuries and violence - You can read the full report here
These new guidelines may be upsetting to some; like food, alcohol is a social connector as it brings us
together, helps us celebrate, loosens us up, facilitates socializing, etc. It can be difficult to give up
something we enjoy, but the point of this report is to create awareness around the risks we choose to
take.
The good news is every drink counts, so any kind of reduction will be helpful, particularly if you’re in the
high risk range. You can reduce your consumption by:
- Alternating alcoholic beverages with non-alcoholic drinks, especially water
- Set days of the week as dry days to limit consumption
- Drink slowly and mindfully; avoid shots
- Don’t keep alcohol in the house
- Organize social gatherings and events that are not based on drinking/eating at a licensed
restaurant - Ensure you’re measuring your drinks to the standard serving size
- Consume a meal before, during, or after drinking alcohol