Northern Ont. alcohol sellers say drinking guidelines aren't a worry

Some alcohol-selling businesses in northern Ontario say they don't expect many short-term impacts from the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction's (CCSA) new alcohol consumption guidelines.

That feeling, said two business owners in the northeast, came from recent customer interactions and broader trends they've noticed in their industry.

Sara Paterson, at the Miner's Tavern in Cobalt, Ont., said many of her customers find the new guidelines to be a drastic change. However, some patrons said they don't plan to change their consumption habits. That may be linked to a broader societal shift around alcohol.

"A trend that I had been tracking for quite some time is that people are still just naturally going for lower-alcohol things now," she said.

Paterson said many customers come to her tavern for primarily social purposes, rather than seeking a buzz. For example, patrons have been ordering more wine spritzers, as opposed to a straight glass of wine, and others will come in for one or two regular beers before switching to non-alcoholic beers.

The CCSA released its latest report on Jan. 27, stating that any amount of drinking can increase one's risks of developing cancer, heart disease or strokes. It said three or more drinks per week is considered risky; a sharp departure from its 2011 advice that people should not consume more than 10 to 15 drinks per week.

Some commentators have taken issue with the guidelines. Brock University health sciences professor Dan Malleck, speaking on CBC Radio's The Current, said that "to focus only on harms doesn't really give people the full picture" of alcohol's broader risks and benefits.

Paterson said the new guidelines may inspire people to reflect on their own alcohol consumption, which could lead to further reductions in long-term consumption behaviours.

Luc Johnson is the founder and brewer at Whiskeyjack Beer Company in Haileybury, Ont. He said the previous guidelines were more "realistic" than the latest advice, and that the widely shared CCSA report summary doesn't have enough context.

"It's up to the individual to decide what level of risk they're comfortable with," he said, adding that his brewery does not support overconsumption or binge drinking.

Johnson said alcohol is deeply tied with socializing in modern cultures, which could be one benefit to the substance.

"I stand here on a Saturday night and watch 40 people listen to live music and enjoy themselves," Johnson said. "Yes, it could be done without alcohol, but it's just not the way our history is."

He said it was important that the public could access the full details of the studies to make their own informed decisions on drinking.

Johnson said he has considered brewing low- or no-alcohol drinks as a new product offering. He said the easiest transition would be to lower-alcohol options, made by lowering the amount of barley-derived sugars in his batches.