Canada's new alcohol guidelines are here and some London drinkers are dismissing them

The release of new low-risk drinking guidelines by the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction (CCSA), the first update to the guidelines in 11 years, drastically reduces the amount of alcohol consumption that's considered safe by health experts, who are increasingly pushing authorities to add cancer warning labels to beer, wine and spirits. 

The latest report by the CCSA, released Tuesday, stipulates no amount of alcohol is safe and recommends no more than two drinks a week for men and women — a far cry from the organization's previous guidance, which recommended no more than 15 drinks for men and 10 drinks a week for women to reduce long-term health risks. 

The new guidelines say even three to six drinks a week increases the risk of developing certain cancers, while more than seven drinks a week increases the risk of heart disease and stroke, with the danger going up with each additional drink. The report is based on nearly 6,000 peer-reviewed studies and draws links between alcohol use and at least seven types of cancers. Despite the evidence, most people appear unaware or willing to overlook the risk. 

In downtown London, under a grey sky, reaction appeared muted, with most shrugging their shoulders at the news that consuming any more than two drinks of alcohol a week is risky for one's health. 

'I don't agree with it'

"I have mixed feelings about that because I live with my grandparents, who are drinking wine every single day. They're 97," said Wayne White, who on Tuesday was walking through London's Richmond row area, the neighbourhood with the highest concentration of bars in the city. 

"It just doesn't make sense. I don't agree with it," he said. 

"We're going to go over that [two drink limit] right now if I actually listened to that sort of stuff," said a man who did not identify himself outside of Toboggan Brewing Co., one of the city's busiest bars with its own line of micro-brewed beers. 

"I thought health was saying that one drink a day was good for you," said the man standing with him. 

"I feel like most people, when they drink, they're having more than two drinks, especially university students," said Hailey Frank, a university student herself, who said she thinks authorities should add health warning labels to alcohol.

"It's definitely concerning. I think most people don't know," she said.

"I don't think it would stop anyone anyway. My grandparents are definitely drinking more than two drinks a week, and they're fine," said student Cheryl Mason. "Everything causes cancer nowadays." 

According to the CCSA report, more than half of Canadians are in risky drinking territory — with 40 per cent of respondents drinking more than six drinks a week, while another 17 per cent reported consuming three to six drinks a week. 

Industry responding to mindful drinking approach

The new low-risk standards seem to reflect a more mindful approach to alcohol consumption that's been popularized by "dry January" or the so-called "sober curious" movement. In response, a growing number of alcohol producers are now willing to provide low-alcohol or even alcohol-free options. 

"I definitely think it's important to consider your health with anything and beer. Like anything, it's all about moderation and smart choices," said Gavin Anderson, who co-founded Anderson Craft Ales with his father, Jim.

"We're just testing out a couple of recipes now," he said. "It's a lot trickier to make a non-alcoholic beer that tastes good." 

Anderson said growing demand has led his brewery to develop a line of lower-alcohol beers for those who are conscious about how much they imbibe. His brewery is also working on developing an alcohol-free beer to appeal to a broader array of customers.

"Non-alcoholic beer has been around for a while," he said. "Our goal is to make one for people who like beer but want to reduce their intake a bit."