The National Alcohol Strategy Advisory Committee (NASAC) released Canada’s “Low-Risk Alcohol Drinking Guidelines” on November 25, 2011. The guidelines will help health professionals across the country give evidence-based, consistent advice on drinking and its impacts on their patients.
According to a 2002 study conducted by the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse, alcohol-related problems cost our economy more than $14 billion every year. The new guidelines are an essential part of Canada’s National Alcohol Strategy to encourage a culture of moderation and reduce the harm of alcohol consumption.
Guidelines recommend that women have no more than two drinks a day but no more than ten a week. Men should have no more than three drinks a day with a weekly maximum of 15. Both genders should have non-drinking days during the week as well as single occasion maximums.
The guidelines are widely endorsed across a spectrum of organizations and are considered vital in providing Canadians with information that will reduce harmful drinking behaviours and subsequent health risks.
The “Low-Risk Alcohol Drinking Guidelines” are available at www.ccsa.ca.