Safe Alcohol Consumption in 2025

By Dr. Sol Sax, BAsc, MD, FRCPC, CCBOM

What Are the Current Guidelines in Canada?

In 2023, the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction (CCSA) announced new guidance regarding Canada’s Low-Risk Alcohol Drinking Guidelines (LRDGs). People, including me and many of my medical colleagues, were shocked to see the guidance much, much lower than existing guidelines. The previous guidance from Health Canada stated the following: for men, 15 drinks or less per week, and for women, 10 drinks or less per week. The new guidance suggests no more than two drinks per week for everyone. So, what happened?

As science is ever evolving, and the previous recommendations about alcohol use were released over a decade ago, the message behind the updated guidance is that, if you drink alcohol, drinking less is better for health. The updated guidance presents a continuum of risk:

• 0 standard drinks a week – No risk; better health and better sleep.
• 1 to 2 standard drinks a week – Low risk; you avoid alcohol-related consequences.
• 3 to 6 standard drinks a week – Moderate risk; increased risk of several types of cancer.
• 7 or more standard drinks a week – High risk; your risk of heart disease and stroke increases.

(Note:  A standard drink = a 12-ounce bottle of 5% beer; 5-ounce glass of wine at 12% alcohol by volume; 1.5-ounce shot glass of distilled spirits at 40% alcohol by volume)

The guidance also recommends that if you drink more than two drinks a week, make sure you don’t exceed two drinks on any day to reduce the risk of injuries or violence.

What Evidence Drove These New Guidelines?

The new guidelines from the CCSA are based on extensive research into the health risks associated with alcohol consumption. Key evidence includes:

• Global Evidence Review: The guidelines were informed by a comprehensive review of international research on the effects of alcohol on health.
• Cancer Risks: Studies show that even low levels of alcohol consumption can increase the risk of several cancers, including breast and colon cancer.
• Heart Disease and Stroke: Higher levels of alcohol consumption significantly raise the risk of heart disease and stroke.
• Continuum of Risk: The guidelines emphasize that there is no completely safe level of alcohol consumption. Risks increase with each additional drink per week.

The updated recommendations aim to provide Canadians with clear, evidence-based advice to make informed decisions about their alcohol use.

Tips to Help You Stay on Target

We know that it can be difficult to cut out alcohol altogether, especially when adult social gatherings are often centered on friends, food, and drink. But if you use alcohol, the guidance provides tips and tricks to help you stay on target to drink less. These include:

• Choose alcohol-free or low-alcohol beverages; there are now, more than ever, very delicious non-alcoholic options such as mocktails and alcohol-free wine and beer.
• Set a weekly drinking target, and stick to the limits you’ve set for yourself.
• Drink slowly and drink lots of water.
• For every drink of alcohol, have one non-alcoholic drink.
• Eat before and while you are drinking.
• Have alcohol-free weeks or participate in alcohol-free activities.

What Are We Seeing in Practice?

Interestingly, in my Occupational Health practice, we are not hearing much concern from employers in general. However, when we talk to individual employees about their health and mention the new drinking guidelines, they seem to be unaware but very interested. Some say they will definitely cut back; others say, “I like my beer/wine and have no intention of giving it up.”

When Should I Seek Help?

You may want to consider seeking some professional support if you are experiencing any of the following:

• Being unable to limit the amount of alcohol you drink, or wanting to cut down on how much you drink, but being unsuccessful in doing so.
• Feeling a strong craving or urge to drink alcohol.
• Continuing to drink alcohol even though you know it’s causing physical, social, professional, or relationship problems.

If you or someone close to you is experiencing any of the following, I would strongly recommend seeking professional support.

• Spending a lot of time drinking, getting alcohol, or recovering from alcohol use.
• Failing to fulfill major obligations at work, school, or home due to repeated alcohol use.
• Giving up or reducing social and work activities and hobbies to use alcohol.
• Using alcohol in situations where it’s not safe, such as when driving or swimming.
• Developing a tolerance to alcohol so you need more to feel its effect, or you have a reduced effect from the same amount.
• Experiencing withdrawal symptoms—such as nausea, sweating, and shaking—when you don’t drink, or drinking to avoid these symptoms. 

The Bottom Line

Alcohol is a good example of “less is more”— more health, that is. In the past, the guidelines were targeted mainly at preventing motor vehicle accidents and alcoholic liver and brain disease. The current guidelines are based on newer studies that show increased risks for cancers and heart conditions at even low levels of alcohol. As usual, if you are concerned, please talk to your primary healthcare practitioner, your occupational health team, or call your Employee and Family Assistance Program provider, and be honest about your consumption. We are not here to judge; we are here to help.

References

https://www.ccsa.ca/canadas-guidance-alcohol-and-health

https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/substance-use/alcohol/health-risks.html