Alcohol

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Alcohol is a drug found in beer, wine, and liquor. It slows down your brain and body, which can affect how you think, act, breathe, and even how your heart works. How alcohol affects you depends on things like your weight, gender, how much you’ve eaten, and how much you drink.

Canada’s Guidance on Alcohol and Health

Canada’s Guidance on Alcohol and Health states that drinking any amount of alcohol can be harmful. At 2 standard drinks or less per week, you are likely to avoid alcohol-related consequences for yourself or others. However, even 3–6 standard drinks per week can raise your risk of cancer. More than 7 standard drinks per week can increase the risk of heart disease and stroke.

The safest choice is not to drink. Not drinking has benefits, such as better health and better sleep. The advice is to have no more than 2 standard drinks per week to avoid risks from alcohol use. No matter where you are on the risk continuum, drinking less is better for your health.

A standard drink is defined as:

  • 12 oz. of beer (5% alcohol)
  • 5 oz. of wine (12% alcohol)
  • 1.5 oz. of hard liquor (40% alcohol)

For more information and resources on alcohol consumption, visit the Canada’s Guidance on Alcohol and Health.

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Alcohol is the most commonly used drug in Canada. The new Canadian Guidance on Alcohol and Health gives updated information about the risks of drinking and helps people make informed choices. It replaces the older 2011 guidelines.

The key message: Drinking less is better.

No matter your age, gender, or lifestyle, alcohol can cause harm. The more you drink, the higher the risk to your health.

Weekly Risk Levels A “Continuum of Risk” was developed to illustrate risk associated with weekly alcohol consumption and allowing individuals to decide where they are comfortable being on the continuum.

  • 0 drinks per week = No risk
    • Benefits include better health and better sleep.
  • 1–2 drinks per week = Low risk
    • You’re less likely to face alcohol-related harms.
  • 3–6 drinks per week = Moderate risk
    • Your risk of certain cancers (like breast and colon) increases.
  • 7+ drinks per week = High risk
    • Your risk of heart disease and stroke increases.

Each extra drink adds more risk.

When no alcohol is safest

  • If you’re pregnant or trying to get pregnant
  • When breastfeeding
  • For youth under the legal drinking age (alcohol use should be delayed as long as possible)

There are times when the safest choice is not to drink at all, such as:

  • If you’re pregnant, trying to get pregnant, or breastfeeding
  • When driving any vehicle (car, truck, boat, bike, ATV, etc.)
  • When using machinery or power tools
  • If you’re taking medications or other drugs that interact with alcohol
  • When doing something physically dangerous
  • When you’re responsible for the safety of others
  • When making important decisions

Drinking and driving: Even small amounts of alcohol slow down your brain and reduce your ability to see, react, and stay coordinated. This increases the risk of crashes, which can be deadly.

Alcohol poisoning: Drinking a lot of alcohol in a short time can cause alcohol poisoning, which is very serious and sometimes fatal.

Risk Associated with Alcohol Use Per Occasion: Drinking alcohol has negative consequences.

Consuming more than 2 standard drinks per drinking occasion is associated with an increased risk of harm to self and others, including injuries and violence.

Binge drinking is a common and dangerous way to consume alcohol. Binge drinking is defined as consuming 5 or more standard drinks in one sitting or on one occasion for men, or 4 or more standard drinks in one sitting or on one occasion for women.

When consuming that much alcohol, it puts you at greater risk for risky choices, harmful behaviours and dangerous circumstances including:

  • Accidents and injuries (car crashes, drowning, falls)
  • Violence (physical or sexual)
  • Development of health problems like heart disease, high blood pressure, liver disease, and cancer
  • Development of an alcohol use disorder
  • Misjudging a situation or what is being said
  • Blackouts (a period of amnesia where person is alert and can walk and talk, but the brain doesn’t form new memories of events that happened) or memory loss
  • Getting into a fight (verbal or physical)
  • Getting sick or injured

Download the GEPH Binge Drinking Fact Sheet here.

Mixing substances: Avoid mixing alcohol with cannabis, medications, energy drinks, or other drugs. These combinations can cause unpredictable and dangerous effects.

Alcohol and cancer: Alcohol is a known cause of cancer, including breast, colon, liver, throat, and mouth cancers. Drinking less lowers your risk.

Alcohol and heart disease: Alcohol increases the risk of most heart problems, like high blood pressure, heart failure, irregular heartbeat, and stroke.

Alcohol and liver disease: Heavy drinking, even for a few days, can damage the liver. Over time, it can cause serious illnesses like cirrhosis or liver cancer.

Alcohol and violence: Drinking too much can increase aggression and the risk of intimate partner violence or other harmful behaviour.

There is no safe time or safe amount of alcohol during pregnancy. Drinking while pregnant can cause Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD), which can lead to birth defects, brain injury, learning problems, and lifelong challenges for the child. When breastfeeding, not drinking is safest. Alcohol can pass into breast milk, affect your baby’s sleep, and reduce milk supply. If you do drink, wait about 2 hours per standard drink before breastfeeding.

Pregnancy:

Alcohol use in pregnancy can negatively affect the health of both the mother and the fetus. It can cause:

  • Increased risk of miscarriage
  • Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy
  • Placental abnormalities

Life-long effects of alcohol on the fetus include:

  • Malformation of the fetus
  • Brain injury
  • Birth defects
  • Behavioural problems
  • Learning disabilities
  • Other health problems, typically referred to as fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD)

Breastfeeding:

When breastfeeding, not drinking alcohol is safest, as alcohol can enter breast milk

Alcohol use while breastfeeding may cause:

  • Decrease in milk production or an early end to breastfeeding
  • Poor sleeping patterns for infants

If you choose to drink while breastfeeding, plan the occasion to drink. It takes approximately 2 hours for alcohol in a standard drink to be eliminated from the body and breastmilk.

View the GEPH Alcohol and Pregnancy Fact Sheet here.

When you enjoy alcohol, it can be easy to get into a routine of drinking too much, too often, or in risky environments.

To decrease the risk of harm from alcohol, it is recommended to consider reducing alcohol use.

Why Reduce Alcohol Use?

  • Any reduction in alcohol consumption benefits you and others. The risk of injury and violence, and many health problems that can shorten life can be decreased.

How to drink less:

  • Count how many standard drinks you have in a week
  • Set a weekly drinking target
  • If you plan to drink, aim to not exceed 2 standard drinks on any day

Suggestions to stay on target:

  • Stick to the limits set for yourself
  • Drink slowly
  • Drink lots of water
  • For every drink of alcohol, have one non-alcoholic drink
  • Choose alcohol-free or low-alcohol beverages
  • Eat before and while you’re drinking
  • Have alcohol-free weeks
  • Explore alcohol-free activities

When to seek additional support:

  • If you have questions about your alcohol consumption
  • If you are concerned about your alcohol consumption, or if others have voiced concerns about your alcohol consumption
  • If you are living with a mental or physical health condition
  • If you are planning to become pregnant or currently pregnant

Support is available. See our Links and Resources and Help Lines and Support tabs for more information.

Sandy’s Law

Sandy’s Law is an Ontario regulation designed to increase awareness of the risks associated with drinking alcohol during pregnancy. Named in memory of Sandy Parsons, who was born with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD), the law requires all establishments that sell or serve alcohol, such as restaurants, bars, LCBO outlets, and grocery stores, to display warning signs stating that alcohol use during pregnancy can cause FASD. These reminders help promote informed decisions and encourage safer, healthier choices for expectant mothers.

For Parents

Educating your kids about alcohol and other drugs isn’t always easy. As children grow and develop, so do their social and environmental influences, increasing their chances of drug use. As a parent you are the “front-line defence” against the pressures your children face to experiment with substances. While it is important to talk to your kids and set expectations about substance use, it is essential to set a good example for them. Drug education needs to start young. Talk to your kids.

Resources to help with talking to your kids:

Why prevent alcohol and other drug use?

Videos
Sobering stats on youth and alcohol

Alcohol and the Teenage Brain

Resources


Emergency Crisis Lines:

If you need help in an emergency or are in crisis, contact a local distress centre:

If you are concerned about your alcohol experience or are experiencing harmful effects, help is available:

  • Stay calm
  • Do not consume any more alcohol
  • Have something to eat and drink water
  • Do not drive
  • Call the Ontario Poison Control Centre at 1-800-268-9017, or call 9-1-1

If you believe your child has consumed alcohol, help is available:

Brantford/Brant Addiction Services:

Haldimand Norfolk Mental Health and Addiction Services: 

  • Alcoholics Anon. (AA) & AL-ANON (family group) 24hr helpline: 519-752-5981
  • Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA): 519-428-2380
  • Crisis Assessment and Support Team (CAST)-Suicide Hotline: 1-866-487-2278
  • South Coast Wellness: 1-877-909-HELP (4357)
  • Ontario Drug & Alcohol Helpline: 1-800-565-8603
  • Ontario Problem Gambling Helpline: 1-888-230-3505
  • Youth Mental Health

Provincial and National Help Lines:

  • Canadian Drug Rehab Services, call 1-877-254-3348
    • Free, confidential professional help and resources for drug and alcohol addiction in Canada. Referrals for clients seeking support with substances.
  • ConnexOntario, call 1-866-531-2600 or text CONNEXT to 247247
    • 24/7 Mental Health and Addiction Services support for ages 18+
  • Get help with substance use – Canada.ca
  • Good2Talk, call 1-866-925-5454 or text GOOD2TALKON to 686868
    • Confidential support services for post-secondary students:
  • Health Connect Ontario (previously Telehealth Ontario), call 1-866-797-0007 or call 8-1-1
    • 24/7 confidential support for health matters and addiction concerns
  • Kids Help Phone, call 1-800-668-6868 or text CONNECT to 686868
    • support for ages 0-20