The increase in risk classification using Canada’s Guidance on Alcohol and Health: an empirical examination in a sample of community adults in Ontario
IntroductionThe 2023 Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction drinking guidelines specify a universal low-risk threshold of 2 or fewer drinks per week, lower than previous guidelines that recommended no more than 10 drinks per week or 2 per occasion for females, and 15 pe...
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Public Health Agency of Canada
2025-02-01
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| Series: | Health Promotion and Chronic Disease Prevention in Canada |
| Online Access: | https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/reports-publications/health-promotion-chronic-disease-prevention-canada-research-policy-practice/vol-45-no-2-2025/increase-risk-classification-guidance-alcohol-health-examination-sample-community-adults-ontario.html |
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| author | Kyla L. Belisario Amanda Doggett James MacKillop |
| author_facet | Kyla L. Belisario Amanda Doggett James MacKillop |
| author_sort | Kyla L. Belisario |
| collection | DOAJ |
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IntroductionThe 2023 Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction drinking guidelines specify a universal low-risk threshold of 2 or fewer drinks per week, lower than previous guidelines that recommended no more than 10 drinks per week or 2 per occasion for females, and 15 per week or 3 per occasion for males. This study examined the increases in risk classification and perceptions of these new guideline thresholds.
MethodsPrevalence of those exceeding the new low-risk threshold was compared with that of previous and other international guidelines in an observational cohort of community adults (N = 1502) from southern Ontario who had been followed since 2018 (11 waves of data collection). To examine awareness of the new guidelines and perceived risk of drinking beyond them, a follow-up was conducted with a subset of the cohort, three months after the release of the guidelines (April 2023).
ResultsAcross waves, on average, 52% exceeded the new low-risk threshold compared to 11% who exceeded previous guidelines. Other international guidelines classified, on average, 16% (US), 20% (UK) and 29% (WHO) of the sample as exceeding low-risk guidelines. Approximately half of study participants (51%) were aware of Canada’s new guidelines, but 77% perceived exceeding 2 drinks per week as having little to no risk.
ConclusionOver four times more adults exceeded the new low-risk drinking threshold compared to that of the previous Canadian guidelines. Additionally, more were classified as exceeding the new low-risk threshold compared to other international drinking thresholds. These results, combined with low perceptions of risk associated with consuming more than 2 drinks per week, suggest that many Canadians are at risk of exceeding the new guidelines. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-419e6cc3f254437e87e7f9ce33cf36b7 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2368-738X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-02-01 |
| publisher | Public Health Agency of Canada |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Health Promotion and Chronic Disease Prevention in Canada |
| spelling | doaj-art-419e6cc3f254437e87e7f9ce33cf36b72025-08-20T02:12:30ZengPublic Health Agency of CanadaHealth Promotion and Chronic Disease Prevention in Canada2368-738X2025-02-01452859710.24095/hpcdp.45.2.03The increase in risk classification using Canada’s Guidance on Alcohol and Health: an empirical examination in a sample of community adults in OntarioKyla L. Belisario0Amanda Doggett1James MacKillop2Peter Boris Centre for Addictions Research, McMaster University; St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton, Hamilton, Ontario, CanadaPeter Boris Centre for Addictions Research, McMaster University; St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton, Hamilton, Ontario, CanadaPeter Boris Centre for Addictions Research, McMaster University; St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada IntroductionThe 2023 Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction drinking guidelines specify a universal low-risk threshold of 2 or fewer drinks per week, lower than previous guidelines that recommended no more than 10 drinks per week or 2 per occasion for females, and 15 per week or 3 per occasion for males. This study examined the increases in risk classification and perceptions of these new guideline thresholds. MethodsPrevalence of those exceeding the new low-risk threshold was compared with that of previous and other international guidelines in an observational cohort of community adults (N = 1502) from southern Ontario who had been followed since 2018 (11 waves of data collection). To examine awareness of the new guidelines and perceived risk of drinking beyond them, a follow-up was conducted with a subset of the cohort, three months after the release of the guidelines (April 2023). ResultsAcross waves, on average, 52% exceeded the new low-risk threshold compared to 11% who exceeded previous guidelines. Other international guidelines classified, on average, 16% (US), 20% (UK) and 29% (WHO) of the sample as exceeding low-risk guidelines. Approximately half of study participants (51%) were aware of Canada’s new guidelines, but 77% perceived exceeding 2 drinks per week as having little to no risk. ConclusionOver four times more adults exceeded the new low-risk drinking threshold compared to that of the previous Canadian guidelines. Additionally, more were classified as exceeding the new low-risk threshold compared to other international drinking thresholds. These results, combined with low perceptions of risk associated with consuming more than 2 drinks per week, suggest that many Canadians are at risk of exceeding the new guidelines.https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/reports-publications/health-promotion-chronic-disease-prevention-canada-research-policy-practice/vol-45-no-2-2025/increase-risk-classification-guidance-alcohol-health-examination-sample-community-adults-ontario.html |
| spellingShingle | Kyla L. Belisario Amanda Doggett James MacKillop The increase in risk classification using Canada’s Guidance on Alcohol and Health: an empirical examination in a sample of community adults in Ontario Health Promotion and Chronic Disease Prevention in Canada |
| title | The increase in risk classification using Canada’s Guidance on Alcohol and Health: an empirical examination in a sample of community adults in Ontario |
| title_full | The increase in risk classification using Canada’s Guidance on Alcohol and Health: an empirical examination in a sample of community adults in Ontario |
| title_fullStr | The increase in risk classification using Canada’s Guidance on Alcohol and Health: an empirical examination in a sample of community adults in Ontario |
| title_full_unstemmed | The increase in risk classification using Canada’s Guidance on Alcohol and Health: an empirical examination in a sample of community adults in Ontario |
| title_short | The increase in risk classification using Canada’s Guidance on Alcohol and Health: an empirical examination in a sample of community adults in Ontario |
| title_sort | increase in risk classification using canada s guidance on alcohol and health an empirical examination in a sample of community adults in ontario |
| url | https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/reports-publications/health-promotion-chronic-disease-prevention-canada-research-policy-practice/vol-45-no-2-2025/increase-risk-classification-guidance-alcohol-health-examination-sample-community-adults-ontario.html |
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