Canadian health agencies offer differing guidelines on alcohol consumption, causing uncertainty for those trying to reduce their intake during Dry January.
As some people try to cut down their drinking and embrace Dry January , they may look to Canada 's health agencies for guidance — and find some conflicting advice. This week, the Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research launched a website where users can calculate their health risks — including cancer, heart disease and stroke — based on the amount of alcohol they consume.
The website is built on guidelines issued two years ago by the government-supported Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction (CCSA), which said the risk of cancer rises at much lower levels of alcohol consumption than previously thought. Any more than two standard drinks a week puts people at higher risk, it said in its report. However, Health Canada has not adopted the changes the CCSA released in January 2023. It still advises Canadians to limit their drinks to 10 per week for women and 15 per week for men — beyond which the CCSA says someone would be at 'increasingly high risk' of developing serious illness, including breast and colon cancer. Health Canada's guide has been in place since 2011 and the government is sticking with it, the office of the federal minister of mental health and addictions told The Canadian Press Thursday. Dr. Timothy Naimi, director of the Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research at the University of Victoria, said the conflicting guidance'has been an ongoing issue for the public health community and scientists' for the last two years. Naimi was one of the researchers involved in developing the CCSA's updated guidelines and led the creation of the new website — knowalcohol.ca — that allows people to calculate their risk and the positive impact of reducing their alcohol consumption. Both the Health Canada and the CCSA guidelines say the only zero-risk approach to alcohol is not to drink it at all. “Alcohol remains the leading preventable cause of health and social problems in Canada,” said Naimi
Alcohol Health Canada CCSA Dry January Canada
Canada Latest News, Canada Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Conflicting Alcohol Advice in Canada Sparks ConfusionCanadian health agencies offer differing recommendations on alcohol consumption, leaving the public unsure about safe limits. The Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction (CCSA) warns of increased cancer risk even with moderate drinking, while Health Canada maintains its 10-15 drinks per week guideline.
Read more »
Dry January offers a fix for the sober curiousIn 2021, Stats Canada reported 15.6 per cent of Canadians consider themselves heavy drinkers. Dry January offers them an easy way to tap out of bad habits.
Read more »
Bank of Canada made the right call, despite conflicting data making it hardThe Bank of Canada’s mandate is to keep inflation stable and predictable; its primary tool is adjusting the policy interest rate
Read more »
2.6 Million Deaths in 2019 Linked to Alcohol Consumption, WHO ReportsThe World Health Organization (WHO) reports that 2.6 million deaths in 2019 were caused by alcohol consumption. Men are disproportionately affected, and even low levels of alcohol use can have negative health impacts. Heavy drinking increases risks of diseases and mental health issues. Globally, 4.4% of cancer diagnoses are linked to alcohol, with 401,000 cancer deaths. Young people aged 20-39 had the highest alcohol-attributable death rate of 13%.
Read more »
NEAR Protocol Experiences Bullish Surge Amidst Uncertain FutureNEAR Protocol saw a significant price increase, but conflicting technical indicators suggest a potential downturn.
Read more »
New Calculator Helps Canadians Estimate Alcohol Health RisksA new online tool developed by Canadian researchers allows individuals to calculate personalized estimates of the potential health risks associated with their alcohol consumption. The calculator, based on Canada's Guidance on Alcohol and Health, considers factors like age, sex, and weekly alcohol intake to provide insights on risks related to diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and injury. It also estimates the risk of premature death from alcohol and compares health risks to smoking.
Read more »