There are good laws requiring labelling of tobacco and cannabis products, but a massive blindspot when it comes to labelling alcohol, says Tim Naimi
A University of Victoria scientist involved in the overhaul of Canada’s decade-old drinking guidelines envisions a future where alcohol bottles have printed labels and QR codes that inform consumers of the health risks of drinking.
The current guidelines, released in 2011, suggest limiting alcohol use to 10 drinks a week for women and 15 drinks a week for men. “Wouldn’t it be wonderful if the guidelines were printed on the label and there was also a QR code so you could see information including how many calories there are per serving and the number of standard drinks in each container?”
Over the past 10 to 15 years, there’s been growing scientific evidence “that alcohol is a carcinogen and is linked to somewhere between seven and 10 types of cancer,” mostly breast cancer and colorectal cancer, followed by cancers of the rectum, mouth and throat, liver, esophagus and larynx, said Naimi.
Generally speaking, alcohol is ethanol, which damages a person’s DNA. “Other than in very small amounts, alcohol has negative health affects on most organ systems in the body,” said Naimi.
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