Canadian Cancer Society happy to see new alcohol guidelines

With more than three-quarters of the Canadian population over the age of 15 consuming alcohol, the Canadian Cancer Society is happy to see new alcohol guidelines released from the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addictions (CCSA) on Jan. 17.

“The Canadian Cancer Society is really happy to support the new Canada's guidance on alcohol and health,” said Ciana Van Dusen, advocacy manager at the Canadian Cancer Society, on The Sam Laprade Show. “This guidance will encourage people to rethink if they consume alcohol and to help people make informed decisions about their health.”

Changes to the guidelines, the first in over a decade, include switching away from a strict set of rules; for example, the number of drinks allowable per week. Previously, the CCSA recommended no more than 15 drinks a week for men, and 10 drinks for women.

Instead the guidelines are based on a scale of risk associated with different levels of consumption in an effort to help with making healthier choices. To avoid alcohol-related consequences, the CCSA now says two standards drinks a week, escalating the risk at three to six drinks a week, and stating that at seven or more drinks per week the “risk of heart disease or stroke increases significantly,” according to the new guidelines.

“Now rather than looking at how much is a safe or unsafe limit to consume, the new guidance is talking about a continuum of risk. So it's designed to reduce and remove shame and stigma from this conversation and to inform people that the more we're drinking, the greater the risks are to our health,” said Van Dusen.

Dry January or dry February, the practice of abstaining from alcohol for the entirety of the month, is an opportunity for people to reflect on how much they consume and how it impacts their lives.

Van Dusen said its a chance to start that conversation about reducing your consumption little by little.

'”There are so many benefits to our health and any bit we can reduce will make a difference.”

Dry January and February are also an opportunity to raise funds for the Canadian Cancer Society.

With almost half of all Canadians receiving a cancer diagnosis in their lifetime, raising awareness and funds to support research, care and public policy advocacy during the first couple months of the year is important.

“Doing something good for our health, raising funds for a good cause and raising that awareness, it's a triple win,” said Van Dusen.

Canada's new guidelines can be found on the CCSA website. Additional resources are also available from the Canadian Cancer Society.

Listen to the entire interview with Ciana Van Dusen on The Sam Laprade Show below.