The Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction (CCSA) is leading an exciting initiative, with support from Health Canada, to update Canada’s Low-Risk Alcohol Drinking Guidelines by 2022 using the latest evidence. We are holding a six week, online public consultation to inform the update to the guidelines. The consultation survey is open to all people in Canada from March 8 until April 18.
Canada’s Low-Risk Alcohol Drinking Guidelines were originally published by CCSA in November 2011 and were the result of the work of alcohol research experts in Canada. Since then, substantial new research on the association between drinking alcohol and physical, mental and social harms has been completed. Many countries, including the U.K. and Australia, have updated their guidance on drinking to reflect these advancements in what we know about the risks and benefits associated with alcohol consumption.
We want people in Canada to have the latest advice on alcohol to support them in making informed decisions about drinking. To that end, it is important that they are involved and have the opportunity to inform how the guidelines are developed and communicated.
The feedback we receive will help to inform the update to the Low-Risk Alcohol Drinking Guidelines. It will help us learn about the experiences of the general public and stakeholders with the current guidelines and their needs and expectations for updated guidelines, namely:
- Whether and how Canadians are using the current alcohol drinking guidelines;
- What are some of the challenges in using the current guidelines;
- What is most useful in the current guidelines; and
- What your needs and expectations are for the updated guidelines.
We would be grateful if you could participate in this consultation and also share this request with your colleagues and networks. We want to hear from a number of people in Canada and ensure that we receive a broad range of perspectives related to alcohol and alcohol consumption. This includes members of the public, as well as professionals from a variety of sectors, including health and social services, health research, education and industry.
The online consultation survey will take approximately 10 minutes to complete, depending on how much input you choose to provide. Should you decide to take part, rest assured that your information is completely confidential and anonymous.
Want to know more? Visit CCSA’s website or see our Frequently Asked Questions.