Project Background
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Canada’s Guidance on Alcohol and Health replaces Canada’s Low-Risk Alcohol Drinking Guidelines (LRDGs). Since the release of the LRDGs in 2011, new evidence has been uncovered on alcohol-related mortality and morbidity. Research has also evolved on how drinking alcohol contributes to social harms. Other countries, including Australia, Denmark, France, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and the United States, recently updated their guidelines to reduce the health risks of alcohol consumption.
Canada’s Guidance on Alcohol and Health is the result of a collaborative process among CCSA, health and social scientists, knowledge mobilization specialists and representatives of various Canadian organizations, including Health Canada. The process has been consensual and based on co-operation. All parties participated with equal status and the expression of each parties’ points of views were encouraged.
Process Followed to Develop the Guidance on Alcohol and Health
In July 2020 with funding from Health Canada, CCSA began the project to update the LRDGs. The chart on Process and Documentation outlines the process that resulted in Canada’s Guidance on Alcohol and Health. Click the links in the chart to access the supporting documents produced as part of the process.
Public and Stakeholder Consultations
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People in Canada should have access to the latest evidence-based advice on alcohol to support them in making informed decisions about its use. They should also have opportunities to have their voices heard and to share what matters to them when it comes to their health, well-being and alcohol consumption. Consulting throughout the guidance development process with the public, professionals and organizations concerned with alcohol, health and well-being was key to ensuring that Canada’s Guidance on Alcohol and Health meets the diverse needs of people and organizations in Canada and is accessible to all.
Public Consultation on the 2011 Low-Risk Alcohol Drinking Guidelines
CCSA held an online public consultation on the 2011 LRDGs between March 8 and April 18, 2021. This consultation was to understand the experiences of people in Canada with the LRDGs and their needs and expectations for updated guidelines. It was open to all people in Canada, including the general public, professionals and representatives from organizations with an interest in alcohol, health and well-being. A total of 4,846 people from every province and territory across Canada completed the online consultation questionnaire. The report, Update of Canada’s Low-Risk Alcohol Drinking Guidelines: Summary of Findings from Public Consultation, outlines how the consultation was conducted and what we heard.
Consultations with Representatives of Health Organizations
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CCSA held virtual focus groups with counsellors and treatment providers, people with lived or living experience of substance use and representatives from public health organizations, professional associations, mental health and addictions organizations, and organizations that treat chronic disease. The goal was to obtain their perspective on the familiarity and understanding of people living in Canada with the LRDGs and related issues. The focus groups also discussed messaging and communication strategies that could increase awareness of the LRDGs among target
groups such as youth and women.
A total of 48 representatives participated in the focus groups. The results informed discussions about how to present the conclusions of the LRDG update. They are included in the report, Update of Canada’s Low-Risk Alcohol Drinking Guidelines: Summary of Stakeholder Focus Groups.
Public Consultation on Guidance on Alcohol and Health
The report, Update of Canada’s Low-Risk Alcohol Drinking Guidelines: Final Report for Public Consultation, includes the public summary, the technical summary and the technical report for the new Guidance on Alcohol and Health. It describes how the development of the guidance used a public-health perspective to provide the latest evidence-based advice on alcohol to support informed decisions about its consumption. The report was released for consultation between Aug. 29 and Sept. 23, 2022, to ensure the readability, clarity and validity of the final products. CCSA sought comments from people in Canada on all aspects of the final report through an online survey. We received almost a thousand submissions, which have been reflected in the final products for Canada’s Guidance on Alcohol and Health.
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