In Canada, a standard drink of alcohol (ethyl alcohol or ethanol) contains 13.6 grams or 17 ml of absolute alcohol-the amount contained in a 12-ounce (341ml) bottle of regular (5%) beer, five ounces (142 ml) of (12%) table wine or 1.5 ounces (43 ml) of 80-proof liquor. Definitions of standard drinks are different in other countries. Ethanol can be synthesized or produced naturally by fermentation of fruits, vegetables or grains.
Most Canadians drink in moderation. In the 12 months before the survey, 79.3% of Canadians aged 15 or older report consuming alcohol, 14% are former drinkers and 7% lifetime abstainers. Of the past-year drinkers, 44% report drinking weekly. The rate of past-year drinking is significantly higher among males than females (82.0% vs. 76.8%, respectively). Past-year drinking rates peak among youth 18 to 24 years of age, with about 90% of people in that age range consuming alcohol during the course of the year.
Among high school students in Canada, rates of past-year use range from 48% to 65%, with rates increasing considerably with age (e.g., 80% in Grade 12 in Ontario). There is evidence that rates of binge drinking have increased among high school and university students through the past decade. It was estimated that 4% of Canadians were alcohol-dependent in 1994. Among Canadians 16 years and older who were current drinkers, 10% (about 1.5 million Canadians) had driven a vehicle after consuming "too much alcohol" by their own account.
Alcohol affects the central nervous system in proportion to the amount in the bloodstream. Usual effects of small doses are euphoria, drowsiness, dizziness, flushing, and release of inhibitions and tensions. Larger doses produce slurred speech, staggering, double vision and stupor. Alcohol, even in fairly low doses, impairs the ability to drive or to operate complex machinery. In combination with other drugs, small doses of alcohol may produce exaggerated effects. A "hangover", with headache, nausea, shakiness and vomiting, may begin 8 to 12 hours after a period of excessive drinking. Very large doses can cause death by blocking the brain's control over respiration.
Regular consumption of more than two drinks a day may gradually bring about liver damage, brain damage, heart disease, certain types of cancer, blackouts (loss of memory), impotence, reproductive problems, ulcers, and disorders of the pancreas. Chronic heavy use may result in disruption of the drinker's social, family and working life. Consumption of alcohol during pregnancy may result in babies with a fetal alcohol spectrum disorder. Regular use induces tolerance, making increased doses necessary to produce desired effect. In the case of chronic use, people may drink steadily without appearing to get drunk. Their condition may go unrecognized, even by themselves, for some time. Chronic drinkers are likely to become physically and psychologically dependent. Withdrawal symptoms may range from jumpiness, sleeplessness, sweating, nausea and vomiting, to tremors, seizures, hallucinations and even death. Alcohol is strongly associated with vehicle and other accidents, and violent behaviour.
The age at which young people are allowed to drink in Canada is regulated by legislation and enforcement policy in each province and territory. Currently, in all provinces and territories with the exception of Quebec, Manitoba and Alberta (where the drinking age is 18 years), the drinking age is 19 years. It is an offence to drive with a blood alcohol content (BAC) of .08% or greater, and to drive while impaired even if one's BAC is less than .08%. All provinces and territories have introduced roadside and/or administrative licence suspensions to take effect almost immediately after a driver registers a BAC over the statutory limit (often lower than .08%) or fails to provide a breath sample.
Sources
Canadian Addiction Survey (CAS): A National Survey of Canadians' Use of Alcohol and Other Drugs: Prevalence of Use and Related Harms: Highlights
Ottawa, ON: Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse (CCSA), 2004.
Canadian campus survey 1998
Gliksman, Louis; Demers, Andrée; Adlaf, Edward M.; et al.
Toronto, ON: Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), 2000.
Straight facts about drugs and drug abuse
Ottawa, ON: Public Works and Government Services Canada, 2000.
Student/Adolescent Alcohol & Drug Use Statistics