For the first time ever, Canada has one national set of low-risk alcohol drinking guidelines, with the support of federal, provincial and territorial health ministers, as well as many respected Canadian organizations.
These guidelines, intended for Canadians of legal drinking age who choose to drink alcohol, are informed by the most recent and best available scientific research and evidence. They are intended to provide consistent information across the country to help Canadians moderate their alcohol consumption and reduce their immediate and long-term alcohol-related harm.
Drinking is a personal choice. If you choose to drink, these guidelines can help you decide when, where, why and how.
Guideline 1
Reduce your long-term health risks by drinking no more than:
- 10 drinks a week for women, with no more than 2 drinks a day most days
- 15 drinks a week for men, with no more than 3 drinks a day most days
Plan non-drinking days every week to avoid developing a habit.
Guideline 2
Reduce your risk of injury and harm by drinking no more than 3 drinks (for women) and 4 drinks (for men) on any single occasion.
Plan to drink in a safe environment. Stay within the weekly limits outlined in Guideline 1.
Guideline 3
Do not drink when you are:
- driving a vehicle or using machinery and tools
- taking medicine or other drugs that interact with alcohol
- doing any kind of dangerous physical activity
- living with mental or physical health problems
- living with alcohol dependence
- pregnant or planning to be pregnant
- responsible for the safety of others
- making important decisions
Guideline 4
If you are pregnant, planning to become pregnant, or before breastfeeding, the safest choice is to drink no alcohol at all.
Guideline 5
If you are a child or youth, you should delay drinking until your late teens. Talk with your parents about drinking. Alcohol can harm the way your brain and body develop.
If you are drinking, plan ahead, follow local alcohol laws and stay within the limits outlined in Guideline 1.
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Tips
- Set limits for yourself and abide by them.
- Drink slowly. Have no more than 2 drinks in any 3 hours.
- For every drink of alcohol, have one non-alcoholic drink.
- Eat before and while you are drinking.
- Always consider your age, body weight and health problems that might suggest lower limits.
- While drinking may provide health benefits for certain groups of people, do not start to drink, or increase your drinking, for health benefits.
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For these guidelines,
“a drink” means:
- 341 ml (12 oz.) bottle of 5% alcohol beer, cider or cooler
- 142 ml (5 oz.) glass of 12% alcohol wine
- 43 ml (1.5 oz.) serving of 40% distilled alcohol (rye, gin, rum, etc.)
Low-risk drinking helps to promote a culture of moderation.
Low-risk drinking supports healthy lifestyles. |
Reference:
Butt, P., Beirness, D., Gliksman, L., Paradis, C., & Stockwell, T. (2011). Alcohol and health in Canada: A summary of evidence and guidelines for low-risk drinking. Ottawa, ON: Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse.
What are the positive health effects of alcohol?*
Alcohol enjoys enormous popularity and special social and cultural significance in Canada. Low levels of alcohol consumption have been associated with health benefits for middle-aged people, resulting in lower risks of illness and premature death from heart disease, stroke and diabetes.
What are the negative health effects of alcohol?*
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).
Long-term alcohol consumption has been causally linked with significant increases in the risk of at least eight types of cancer (mouth, pharynx, larynx, esophagus, liver, breast, colon and rectum) and numerous other serious medical conditions (e.g., epilepsy, pancreatitis, low birth weight, hemorrhagic stroke, dysrythmias, liver cirrhosis and hypertension).
If all Canadian drinkers were drinking alcohol within the proposed guidelines, it is estimated that alcohol-related deaths would be reduced by approximately 4,600 per year.*
A study of long-term relative risk is presented in the table below. Please read the relevant section of Alcohol and Health in Canada: A Summary of Evidence and Guidelines for Low-Risk Drinking to understand the full context.
Please click the image below to view the table.