What is alcohol?
Alcohol is a legal psychoactive drug that enjoys enormous popularity and special social and cultural significance. Evidence also suggests that alcohol consumed at low to moderate levels can benefit the health of some individuals.
While alcohol has economic and social benefits, it also has high potential for harm when used inappropriately. Alcohol-related harm includes chronic diseases (such as cirrhosis of the liver and some cancers) and acute events (such as road crashes, violence, disability and death).
What is alcohol’s impact on the Canadian economy?
The economic impact of alcohol-related harm in Canada is estimated to cost $14.6 billion per year, according to the most recent study, The Costs of Substance Abuse in Canada 2002. This figure includes:
- $7.1 billion for lost productivity due to illness and premature death
- $3.3 billion for direct health care costs
- $3.1 billion for enforcement costs
Canada’s response: a National Alcohol Strategy
See the latest actions taken to promote a culture of moderation and reduce the harms associated with alcohol in Canada. This includes the release of Canada's Low-Risk Alcohol Drinking Guidelines.
Cross-country consultations in 2005 on substance use and abuse identified the need to address alcohol misuse in Canada, as one of the 13 priorities in the National Framework for Action to Reduce the Harms Associated with Alcohol and Drugs and other Substances.
As a result, Health Canada, the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse, and the Alberta Alcohol and Drug Abuse Commission co-chaired an expert working group to develop the National Alcohol Strategy.
The resulting report, Reducing Alcohol-Related Harm in Canada: Towards a Culture of Moderation - Recommendations for a National Alcohol Strategy (2007), sets out 41 recommendations to support the development of a culture of moderate alcohol use and to reduce alcohol-related harm.
In 2008, the National Alcohol Strategy Advisory Committee (NASAC) was organized to implement, monitor and evaluate the National Alcohol Strategy recommendations. These recommendations focus on four strategic areas for action:
Reducing alcohol-related harm in Canada: Towards a culture of moderation
Significant progress has been made on 34 of the 41 recommendations of the National Alcohol Strategy. Activities include:
- developing and introducing Canada's Low-Risk Alcohol Drinking Guidelines
- educating students about the dangers of binge drinking
- developing screening, brief intervention and referral tools
- improving access to addiction services in isolated regions of Canada
- encouraging provinces to adopt zero-tolerance alcohol policies for all drivers under 21 years of age
- implementing server training programs
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What is NASAC?
The National Alcohol Strategy Advisory Committee was formed in 2008 to:
- lead the implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the National Alcohol Strategy
- increase awareness of Canadians on matters relating to alcohol abuse
- encourage participation in the reduction of harm associated with such abuse
The 25 members of NASAC include participants with expertise in alcohol-related issues from all levels of government, non-governmental organizations, First Nations, Inuit and Métis service providers, and the alcohol industry. | |