Two drinks a week, nothing more. After the European Union recently gave the green light to warning labels on wines, bitters and liqueurs, Canada is also warning its citizens against alcohol abuse. However, according to the latest guidelines prepared by the Canadian Center on Substance Use and Addiction (Ccsa) on behalf of government agency Health Canada, the limit that should not be exceeded to protect health is just a couple of standard glasses every seven days ( where the standard formulation is 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine, or a shot of spirits at 5%, 12%, or 40% proof respectively). A decidedly low threshold, especially considering that the previous one, set by the CCSA itself in 2011, was 10 drinks per week for women and 15 for men.
According to the report by foreign experts, such a drastic reduction is based on the scientific evidence provided by the best research results of recent years. Not a ban along the lines of the old US ban – mind you – but a desire to present this evidence to the Canadian public so that they can reflect on their alcohol consumption and make informed decisions, as noted by Professor Peter Butt, of the University of Saskatchewan, under the members of the working group that drafted the guidelines. Studies show that no amount or type of alcohol is good for health, says a summary prepared by the CCSA. It doesn’t matter what kind it is: wine, beer, cider or spirits. Alcohol consumption, even in small amounts, is harmful to everyone, regardless of age, sex, gender, ethnicity, tolerance or lifestyle. Therefore, if you drink, it is better to drink less.
The new guidelines may come as a bit of a shock, conceded Ontario public health doctor Erin Hobin to the BBC, who explained that having three “standard” drinks a week increases your risk of head and neck cancer by 15% and with each further, additional glass grows. Similarly, other cancers favored by drinking three to six drinks per week were those of the breast and colon. From the age of seven, the risk of stroke and heart problems also increased. It remains to be seen whether other countries will also decide to adapt to such strict indications. In Italy and the United States, for example, current guidelines recommend no more than two drinks per day for men and one for women. France and Australia, on the other hand, propose a maximum of 10 drinks per week, while the UK has 14: seven times the new Canadian standard.
But wasn’t it true that wine makes good blood? Unfortunately for its enthusiasts, it’s nothing more than an unfounded adage. The director of the National Alcohol Observatory of the Istituto Superiore di Sanit, Emanuele Scafato, illustrated it on the Veronesi Foundation website, who also informed Corriere that among the alcohol-related pathologies are esophagitis, gastritis, diabetes, arrhythmia, hypertension, cardiomyopathy, stroke, pancreatitis , liver cirrhosis and mental disorders such as cognitive dysfunction, depression, anxiety, impulsivity, self-harm and suicidal tendencies. So if we add that just zero consumption isn’t dangerous – long before the CCSA publicized a major study published in the Lancet in 2018 – it’s not surprising how Italian Alcohol Society president Gianni Testino sees alcohol as a problem for all consumers at all levels. At this link the main reasons why it would be good to limit it as much as possible. Contact persons for addiction problems.
January 19, 2023 (change January 20, 2023 | 00:06)
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