Alcohol: Making informed decisions

The Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction (CCSA) released Canada’s Guidance on Alcohol and Health, to provide Canadians with updated, evidence-based information they need to make decisions about their alcohol consumption and reduce their risks.

Key points¹

• Outlined within the new guidance there is a continuum of risk with weekly alcohol use:
• 0 standard drinks per week—Not drinking has benefits, such as better health and better sleep.
• 2 standard drinks or less per week—You are likely to avoid alcohol-related consequences for yourself or others at this level.
• 3–6 standard drinks per week—Your risk of developing several types of cancer, including breast and colon cancer, increases at this level.
• 7 standard drinks or more per week—Your risk of heart disease or stroke increases significantly at this level.
• Each additional standard drink increases the risk of alcohol-related consequences.
• Consuming more than 2 standard drinks per sitting is associated with an increased risk of harms to self and others, including injuries and violence.
• When pregnant or trying to get pregnant, there is no known safe amount of alcohol use.
• When breast/chestfeeding, not drinking alcohol is safest.
• Youth under the legal drinking age should delay drinking for as long as possible.
• No matter where you are on your health journey, less alcohol is better.

Tips to help reduce your drinking¹

• Stick to the limits you’ve set for yourself.
• Drink slowly.
• Drink lots of water.
• For every drink of alcohol, have one non-alcoholic drink.
• Consider alcohol-free or low-alcohol beverages (ex. mocktails).
• Eat before and while you’re drinking.
• Explore alcohol-free weeks or do alcohol-free activities.

1. Paradis, C., Butt, P., Shield, K., Poole, N., Wells, S., Naimi, T., Sherk, A., & the Low-Risk Alcohol Drinking Guidelines Scientific Expert Panels. (2023). Canada’s Guidance on Alcohol and Health: Final Report. Ottawa, Ont.: Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction. https://ccsa.ca/sites/default/files/2023-01/CCSA_Canadas_Guidance_on_Alcohol_and_Health_Final_Report_en.pdf

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This item was last modified on September 19, 2024