Michael Tutton, Associated Press Posted Friday, January 27, 2023 5:53 am EST
HALIFAX – Policymakers in charge of provincial and territorial alcohol laws are in no rush to adopt or promote recently updated guidelines that recommend a sharp drop in drinking habits in Canada.
Across Canada, responsible ministers declined interview requests from The Canadian Press. In written responses, they did not commit to changing alcohol marketing methods and noted they were awaiting Ottawa’s guidance on whether to put warning labels on the products.
In some cases, such as Nunavut and British Columbia, governments say they are actively reviewing the guidelines. Two provinces – New Brunswick and Nova Scotia – said their health departments were developing plans to incorporate the new advice.
The guidance, produced by Health Canada’s Center on Substance Use and Addiction and published Jan. 17, represents a major shift from the 2011 advice that drinking two drinks a day was considered low risk. The updated report says there is a moderate risk of harm for those who consume between three and six standard drinks a week, and it increases with each additional drink.
Kevin Shield, a professor at the University of Toronto’s School of Public Health, notes that about two-thirds of Canadian drinkers consume at the riskier limits of the guidelines, according to the latest Statistics Canada survey.
Shields, who studies the methods governments use to reduce alcohol-related harm, said in an interview Wednesday that alcohol agencies currently do not give consumers a good idea of the long-term health risks of alcohol. Typical messages, he said, are: “Don’t drink and drive, don’t drink while pregnant and please enjoy responsibly,” with only the Northwest Territories including labels warning of health effects.
Some governments are loosening marketing restrictions. For example, in their 2019 budget, Ontario’s Progressive Conservatives called for earlier service in bars and restaurants, alcohol in municipal parks and advertising of free alcohol from casinos.
The province’s finance department said in an emailed response that it was “aware” of the CCSA update, but did not comment on whether the province’s liquor corporation, the LCBO, would change its policies. The LCBO website contains a link to the updated guidance, but finding it requires browsing through three other threads before reaching a link written in small print at the bottom of the page.
Tim Stockwell, former head of the Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research at the University of Victoria, said the reality is that the issue is not a political priority.
“They think about the economy, tourism and the vibrancy of nightlife in their cities. The last thing politicians are thinking about is whether this commodity that we are so familiar with is causing any harm,” he said in an interview on Tuesday.
Liquor corporations continue to be key revenue sources for their provinces, with BC’s agency providing nearly $1.2 billion in the last fiscal year, Ontario’s LCBO providing about $2.4 billion and Quebec’s SAQ reporting a profit of $1.35 billion.
A spokesman for Quebec’s finance minister said the province is not considering changes to the provincial liquor corporation’s current practices. “We trust that citizens will make the best decisions about their health in light of the latest knowledge on the subject,” spokeswoman Claudia Lupre said.
In Nova Scotia, Finance Minister Alan McMaster said alcohol education materials “do not yet” reflect the new guidelines. Beverley Ware, a spokeswoman for the provincial liquor corporation, said the Ministry of Health “plans to develop materials to inform Nova Scotians about the new alcohol and health guidelines” and the liquor retailer supports sharing that information with customers you are
A spokesperson for the New Brunswick Department of Health said it supports the updated guidelines and is working on a communication plan to help New Brunswickers understand them.
Siobhan Coady, Newfoundland and Labrador’s finance minister, provided an email saying her officials are “always aware of new research,” noting the province is already exploring whether to introduce policies that limit alcohol consumption — including raising at the minimum price for drinks sold in bars.
The Manitoba government did not comment on how it would incorporate the guidelines into its alcohol marketing, but noted that its liquor corporation has a “DrinkSense” website that promotes responsible consumption.
Meanwhile, none of the provinces reached by The Canadian Press indicated they were considering directly implementing the call for health warning labels, although the Northwest Territories already has a label that mentions the risk to pregnant women and drivers and notes that alcohol “can to cause health problems.”
Nunavut’s finance department said in an email that it is reviewing its alcohol regulations, including possible warning label requirements, and will “note the CCSA’s findings” in its review.
David Morris, a spokesman for the Saskatchewan Liquor Authority, said the province’s alcohol retail system will be fully private later this year and there are no plans to change the way the province’s private retailers sell or sell alcoholic beverages.
A spokesperson for B.C.’s Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions said the province will review the CCSA guidelines and “will have more to say in the coming weeks.”
Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Nova Scotia and Yukon said Ottawa should take the lead in creating warning labels that discuss the risks of cancer, heart disease and stroke. Carolyn Bennett, the federal minister for mental health and addictions, was not available for interview and her office said it was reviewing the CCSA’s advice.
Dan Malek, a health sciences professor at Brock University who has criticized the CCSA guidelines, said provinces are right to be reluctant to adopt the updated guidelines. “I think any sane government should completely ignore the guidelines,” he said in an email. “This is bad research, ideologically driven and based on spurious links to health harm.”
This report from The Canadian Press was first published on January 27, 2023.
– With files from Alison Jones, Steve Lambert, Terry Theodore, Kelly Malone, Colette Devoriz, Hina Alam, Siddhartha Banerjee and Emily Blake.
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