This document is intended for health professionals, policymakers, communication experts and members of the public who may wish to be informed about low-risk use of alcohol, whether for themselves or to advise others.
The summary of evidence provided here and the proposed Canadian Guidelines for Low-Risk Drinking have both been developed by an independent expert working group with members drawn from Canadian addiction research agencies. The document has also been significantly strengthened by a process of international peer review conducted by three invited experts on alcohol epidemiology and feedback from concerned individuals and organizations.
The Guidelines are intended to provide a basis upon which to advise all Canadians on how to minimize risks from their own and others' drinking in this complex environment.
The Guidelines also acknowledge and support personal choices made by many Canadians to not drink alcohol at all, whether for cultural, spiritual, health-related and/or other personal reasons. They are not intended to encourage individuals or communities who choose to abstain to take up drinking. High-risk groups and situations are also discussed in which either abstinence or extreme caution with alcohol intake is advised, including alcohol use during pregnancy, by youth, in association with high-risk activities (such as driving) and in combination with medication and/or other drugs. No separate guideline is provided for older Canadians, given that the major risk factors for this group (being physically unwell, using medication and reduced tolerance) are highlighted under other guidelines. While the Guidelines are intended for all Canadians, we recommend the need for consultation with Aboriginal groups for a more nuanced community- and population-specific approach in order to more fully address their sometimes diverse and complex circumstances.
The Guidelines identify three distinct types of risk from drinking:
- situations and individual circumstances that are particularly hazardous (e.g., women who are pregnant or planning to become pregnant, teenagers, persons on medication) and for which abstinence or only occasional light intake is advised;
- increased long-term risk of serious diseases caused by the consumption of alcohol over a number of years (e.g., liver disease, some cancers); and
- increased short-term risk of injury or acute illness due to the overconsumption of alcohol on a single occasion.
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