Alcohol abuse, defined as the excessive and harmful consumption of alcoholic beverages, is a pervasive issue in Canada. Approximately 75 percent of Canadians aged 15 years and above consume alcohol. In 2022, per capita alcohol beverage consumption in Canada stood at 97.5 liters. Alcohol consumption is a leading risk factor for the worldwide disease burden, it contributes to numerous health problems, social issues, and economic burdens. In 2020, the estimated overall financial cost of substance use in Canada was 49.1 billion Canadian dollars,
. Alcohol consumption is most concerning in young people because they are at a higher risk for alcohol-related harm.
Alcohol-related harm and behavior
Almost 6.5 million Canadians had engaged in heavy drinking, adults aged between 18 to 34 years were more likely to report heavy drinking compared to other age groups in 2022. Excessive drinking can cause alcohol use disorder (AUD). Like other substance use disorders, AUD is a mental health problem. Between 2022 and 2023, the average hospitalization rate in Canada solely attributable to alcohol was 262 per 100,000 people, the rate was significantly
higher in men compared to
women. In 2020, alcohol-related premature deaths led to a
loss of nearly 104 thousand years of productive life in Canada. To promote low-risk alcohol consumption and reduce the risk of alcohol-related harms, the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction (CCSA) published an update to Canada's Low-Risk Alcohol Drinking Guidelines in 2023.
Impaired driving
As per the latest CCSA guidelines, the
standard drink in Canada contains 17.05 milliliters or 13.45 grams of pure alcohol. Furthermore, to prevent moderate and high health risks, it recommends drinking no more than two drinks a week. There is well-documented research evidence on the detrimental effects of alcohol use on health. Even low levels of alcohol consumption can lead to impairment in cognitive brain functions and muscle coordination. Since alcohol use can impair critical thinking and reasoning abilities needed for safely driving any vehicle, drinking and driving is considered a serious crime in most countries as it endangers public safety. In 2021, alcohol-related impaired driving accounted for around 26 percent of all road accident fatalities in Canada. In the same year, around 47 thousand
alcohol-related federal impaired driving charges were filed in Canada. A charitable organization known as Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD Canada), reported that among Canadians aged between 16 and 25 years, motor vehicle crashes were the leading cause of death, and over half of the fatal crashes involved alcohol and/or drugs.
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