New guidance outlines how much alcohol Canadians should drink
New guidance on drinking for Canadians is out today, and the whole idea is less is more when it comes to alcohol consumption and your health.
As of Tuesday, the Canadian Low-Risk Alcohol Drinking Guidelines from 2011 have been replaced, and the new ones are shaking things up.
The changes are based on years of research showing that alcohol's affects on health are more pronounced than people used to think.
"We believe Canadians have the right to know more information about alcohol than they currently do, Currently, most Canadians are not very literate, shall we say, about the risks from alcohol," said Dr. Tim Naimi, director of the Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research.
Canada’s new guidance on alcohol and health recommends people consider reducing their alcohol use.
"We're not trying to give people one level to shoot for because we know it's not possible for a lot of people. But what we are trying to do is wherever they drink, consider drinking less in order to live longer and improve their health,” Naimi explained.
According to the new guidance, the risk for those who consume two standard drinks or less per week is low; three to six drinks a week is moderate; and above six standard drinks per week is increasingly high.
CancerCare Manitoba is starting to talk about alcohol in the same way since the risk for cancers, like breast and colon, starts increasing even with moderate drinking.
"The idea being that as often as possible, people really should be drinking two drinks or less per week, and that is a big change for people to wrap their head around,” said Dr. Donna Turner with CancerCare Manitoba.
The report highlights that each year there are 7,000 alcohol-related cancer deaths in Canada.
The guidance also recommends Canada start requiring warnings on labels.
"That would include the number of standard drinks, and also some health information and ideally a bit more information about the guidelines,” Naimi said.
One standard drink is a bottle of beer or cider, a five-ounce glass of wine, or 1.5 ounces of spirits.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
B.C. tenants evicted for landlord's use after refusing large rent increase to take over neighbouring suite
Ashley Dickey and her mother rented part of the same Coquitlam duplex in three different decades under three different landlords.
Mountain guide dies after falling into a crevasse in Banff National Park
A man who fell into a crevasse while leading a backcountry ski group deep in the Canadian Rockies has died.
Expert warns of food consumption habits amid rising prices
A new survey by Dalhousie University's Agri-Food Analytics Lab asked Canadians about their food consumption habits amid rising prices.
MPP Sarah Jama asked to leave Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment which has been banned at Queen’s Park.
Charlie Woods, son of Tiger, shoots 81 in U.S. Open qualifier
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.
Ex-tabloid publisher testifies he scooped up possibly damaging tales to shield his old friend Trump
As Donald Trump was running for president in 2016, his old friend at the National Enquirer was scooping up potentially damaging stories about the candidate and paying out tens of thousands of dollars to keep them from the public eye.
Here's why provinces aren't following Saskatchewan's lead on the carbon tax home heating fight
After Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the federal government would still send Canada Carbon Rebate cheques to Saskatchewan residents, despite Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe's decision to stop collecting the carbon tax on natural gas or home heating, questions were raised about whether other provinces would follow suit. CTV News reached out across the country and here's what we found out.
Montreal actress calls Weinstein ruling 'discouraging' but not surprising
A Montreal actress, who has previously detailed incidents she had with disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, says a New York Court of Appeals decision overturning his 2020 rape conviction is 'discouraging' but not surprising.
Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels and Drake Maye make it four NFL drafts with quarterbacks going 1-3
Caleb Williams is heading to the Windy City, aiming to become the franchise quarterback Chicago has sought for decades.