New alcohol guidelines recommending that Canadians limit themselves to just two drinks a week — and ideally cut out alcohol altogether — have sparked an intense debate about risk versus pleasure in a country where the vast majority of adults regularly consume alcohol.
This week, the Canadian Center on Substance Use and Addiction (CCSA) called for a significant reduction in consumption, warning that seemingly moderate drinking poses a number of serious health risks, including cancer, heart disease and stroke.
The new guidelines, funded by Health Canada, represent a dramatic shift from previous recommendations issued in 2011, when Canadians were told low-risk consumption meant no more than 10 drinks a week for women and 15 drinks a week for men.
“We just wanted to present the evidence to the Canadian public so they can think about their drinking and make informed decisions,” said Peter Butt, a professor of family medicine at the University of Saskatchewan and a member of the group that drafted the guidelines. “It’s fundamentally based on the right to know.”
In its measurements, the CCSA considers a standard drink to be a 12 ounce (355 ml) serving of 5% alcohol beer, a 5 ounce (148 ml) glass of 12% alcohol wine, or a 40% alcohol glass.
In the UK, the NHS recommends no more than six 6oz glasses of wine or six pints of 4% beer per week – ideally spread over three days or more. Health officials in the United States recommend no more than two drinks a day for men and just one for women.
But Canadian experts say new research shows that three to six drinks a week should be considered moderate risk for both men and women, and seven or more drinks a week is high risk. In addition to increased risk of colon and breast cancer, as well as heart disease and stroke, the CCSA also identifies both injury and violence as negative outcomes of drinking alcohol.
“This is not about a ban. It’s just reducing the amount one drinks,” Butt said.
The guidelines also warn that no amount of alcohol is safe during pregnancy or trying to become pregnant. While abstinence while breastfeeding is the safest option, a standard drink sometimes does not significantly increase the risk.
The new guidelines were met with skepticism by some health experts.
“This type of research often marginalizes other health and well-being considerations from alcohol,” said Dan Malek, professor of health sciences at Brock University.
“With their work as the Canadian Center on Substance Abuse and Addiction, there’s no room there to think there could be benefits.” Their job is to detect harm.
Malek described the guidelines as “irresponsible” and said they risk creating “anxiety and stress” among Canadians who were once considered moderate drinkers but now occupy a “high risk” category.
“The research they use also ignores the enjoyment and pleasure, stress relief and collegiality associated with alcohol. None of those things are in the calculation,” he said. “We’re not just machines with inputs and outputs of chemicals or nutrients. We actually exist in a social space. And that has a significant impact on our health.”
Others, however, see the guidelines as an attempt to help Canadians better understand the realities of alcohol consumption.
“Alcohol is a psychoactive drug. Occasional use won’t have really significant effects. Even if you occasionally use something like heroin, you probably won’t see significant effects on your life. But here’s the thing: People don’t drink alcohol occasionally — they drink it every day,” said Taryn Grider, a professor of psychology at the University of Toronto.
“The hope is that people will reduce their use and not drink every day because we’ve seen research that shows alcohol is a carcinogen.”
Grider says there are components in alcohol that can be beneficial, but are usually only found in certain drinks.
“A glass of red wine a day may have some benefits. But not beer, not a glass of hard liquor. I think people took this idea that alcohol probably has health benefits and really bought into it.
The CCSA also suggests that there may be benefits to mandatory labeling of alcoholic beverages – warning of possible health risks and including guidance on consumption standards.
“This can help change people’s perception, with labels showing cirrhosis of the liver and the possible long-term effects that drinking can have,” Grider said. “Everyone is different and some people metabolize alcohol differently.
“But these guidelines are for the average person, and the hope is that people will recognize the risks associated with use — and especially long-term use.”
Add Comment