Canada's Low-Risk Alcohol Drinking Guidelines
To prevent chronic disease such as some cancers and cardiovascular disease:
-
Women - no more than 2 drinks a day and 10 drinks a week
-
Men - no more than 3 drinks a day and 15 drinks a week
-
Plan non-drinking days every week to avoid developing a habit
To reduct the risk of injury and harm such as alcohol-related injuries and violence:
Driving? Zero is best.
Pregnant? Zero is safest.
- Unlike products such as tobacco, alcohol can be consumed at a safe or "low-risk" level. Canada's Low-Risk Alcohol Drinking Guidelines were developed to help reduce the risk of alcohol-related harm. These guidelines were based on the most current research available.All drinks are not created equal. If you choose to drink, follow the guidelines and know how much alc9ohol is in your drinks.
- Men and women do not metabolize alcohol the same, so the guidelines are different; however, both men and women are at risk of developing long-term health effects including certain chronic diseases if they drink beyond the guidelines.
- The benefits of alcohol have been over- estimated in the media and there are more risks than benefits associated with alcohol use.
- 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.*
- Alcohol can harm the way the body and brain develop.
- Youth should delay drinking
- People under 24 should not exceed the daily and weekly limits
|
Disease Categories and Calculating Alcohol Attributable Fractions Definitions of Disease Categories:
- Digestive diseases include cirrhosis, pancreatitis, and alcohol-induced chronic pancreatitis.
- Cancers include mouth and oropharynx cancer, esophageal cancer, liver cancer, laryngeal cancer, breast cancers, and other neoplasms, which include in situ neoplasms, benign neoplasms, and other neoplasms of uncertain or unknown behaviours.
- Neuropsychiatric conditions include alcoholic psychoses, alcohol abuse, alcohol dependence syndrome, and epilepsy.
- Cardiovascular diseases include alcoholic cardiomyopathy, cardiac arrhythmias, hypertension, esophageal varices and hemorrhagic stroke.
Alcohol Attributable Fractions for KFL&A area
The alcohol attributable fractions (AAFs) shown in Table 1 were calculated using sex specific relative risks98 for 4 levels of drinking categories, as defined by Rehm et al., as well as the prevalence of drinking in the KFL&A area from the Canadian Community Health Survey Cycle 4.1 (2007-2008).100
Table 1.1 AAFs for Digestive Diseases including deaths and hospitalizations (%)
Digestive Diseases
|
Males: Alcohol-related Deaths
|
Females: Alcohol-related Deaths
|
Males: Alcohol-related Hospitalizations
|
Females: Alcohol-related Hospitalizations
|
Cirrhosis
|
49
|
41
|
52
|
41
|
Pancreatitis
|
17
|
11
|
18
|
10
|
Alcohol-induced chronic pancreatitis
|
100
|
100
|
100
|
100
|
Alcoholic gastritis
|
100
|
100
|
100
|
100
|
Table 1.2 AAFs for Cancers including deaths and hospitalizations (%)
Cancers
|
Males: Alcohol-related Deaths
|
Females: Alcohol-related Deaths
|
Males: Alcohol-related Hospitalizations
|
Females: Alcohol-related Hospitalizations
|
Mouth and Oropharynx Cancer
|
23
|
16
|
24
|
18
|
Esophageal Cancer
|
4
|
1
|
32
|
23
|
Liver Cancer
|
31
|
22
|
29
|
19
|
Laryngeal Cancer
|
26
|
20
|
39
|
27
|
Breast Cancer (under 45 years)
|
-
|
6
|
-
|
6
|
Breast Cancer ( 45 - 69 years)
|
-
|
5
|
-
|
5
|
Other Neoplasms
|
7
|
4
|
7
|
5
|
Table 1.3 AAFs for Neuropsychiatric conditions including deaths and hospitalizations (%)
Neuropsychiatric conditions
|
Males: Alcohol-related Deaths
|
Females: Alcohol-related Deaths
|
Males: Alcohol-related Hospitalizations
|
Females: Alcohol-related Hospitalizations
|
Epilepsy
|
41
|
34
|
45
|
33
|
Depression
|
-
|
-
|
12
|
2.3
|
Alcoholic psychoses, Alcohol abuse, Alcohol dependence syndrome
|
100
|
100
|
100
|
100
|
Table 1.4 AAFs for Cardiovascular diseases including deaths and hospitalizations (%)
Cardiovascular Diseases
|
Males: Alcohol-related Deaths
|
Females: Alcohol-related Deaths
|
Males: Alcohol-related Hospitalizations
|
Females: Alcohol-related Hospitalizations
|
Hypertension
|
10
|
13
|
11
|
13
|
Alcoholic cardiomyopathy
|
100
|
100
|
100
|
100
|
Cardiac arrhythmias
|
23
|
16
|
25
|
16
|
Hemorrhagic stroke
|
(-1)
|
(-8)
|
8
|
(-3)
|
Esophageal varices
|
48
|
40
|
51
|
38
|
Disease Categories and Calculating Alcohol Attributable Fractions
The alcohol attributable fractions (AAFs) shown in Table 2 were taken from AAFs from Rehm et al., Comparative Quantification of Health Risks Global and Regional Burden of Disease, 2004.101
Table 2 AAFs for various types of injuries (unintentional and intentional) by sex and age group (%)
Age Group
|
MVC
|
Poisoning
|
Falls
|
Drowning
|
Other Unintentional
|
Self- inflicted
|
Males - 15-29
|
38
|
31
|
24
|
28
|
31
|
16
|
Males - 30-44
|
42
|
17
|
24
|
33
|
31
|
16
|
Males - 45-59
|
21
|
17
|
24
|
33
|
26
|
12
|
Males - 60-69
|
17
|
17
|
18
|
27
|
26
|
12
|
Females - 15-29
|
14
|
25
|
15
|
27
|
25
|
11
|
Females - 30-44
|
20
|
16
|
15
|
32
|
25
|
11
|
Females - 45-59
|
16
|
16
|
15
|
32
|
20
|
9
|
Females - 60-69
|
12
|
16
|
10
|
26
|
20
|
9
|
|
Greater Kingston Area Safe & Sober Community Alliance
KFL&A Public Health has a long history of working with community partners around the issue of alcohol and related harm. The Greater Kingston Area Safe & Sober Community Alliance is a local community partnership supported by KFL&A Public Health, that was formed in 1998. This partnership has been using a comprehensive health promotion approach to address alcohol misuse, focusing on awareness, education & skill-building, creating supportive environments, and policy.
In 2010 an Alcohol Strategy Working group was formed, with a primary focus on alcohol policy and creating supportive community environments that aim to reduce alcohol related problems and harm. This group has been instrumental in not only providing data for this report, but in supporting the writing process and overall direction and review. It is hoped that this information will assist in motivating and guiding key stakeholders in the development of a local Alcohol Strategy. The goal of this strategy will be to implement evidence-informed policies that will increase community health and safety, while at the same time reduce the financial burden of municipally funded services in dealing with alcohol-related problems.
Greater Kingston Area Safe & Sober Community Alliance partners
|
Alcohol & Gaming Commission of Ontario
|
Algonquin & Lakeshore District School Board
|
Centre for Addiction & Mental Health
|
CFB Kingston Strengthening the Forces Health Promotion Program
|
City of Kingston
|
Community Partners
|
CORK
|
Frontenac Community Mental Health and Addictions Services - Options for Change
|
KFL&A Falls Prevention Coalition
|
KFL&A Public Health
|
Kingston Community Health Centres (KCHC) - Napanee, North Kingston
|
Kingston Fire & Rescue
|
Kingston General Hospital
|
Kingston Police
|
Kingston Power & Sail Squadron
|
Kingston: Partners for a Safe Community
|
Lennox & Addington Community Mental Health and Addiction Services
|
Loyalist Detachment OPP
|
Napanee Detachment, OPP
|
Office of the Chief Coroner
|
Ontario Marina Operators Association
|
Ontario Ministry of Transportation
|
Ontario Provincial Police East Region S.A.V.E. Team
|
Ontario Provincial Police - Frontenac, Loyalist and Napanee detachments
|
Queen's University - Health Counselling & Disability Services, Residence Life
|
Royal Military College
|
Sexual Assault Centre Kingston
|
Sexual Assault-Domestic Violence Program, Kingston General Hospital
|
St. Lawrence College Residence
|
Sustainable Kingston
|
Youth Diversion Program - Kairos
|
|