A new report from British Columbia’s provincial health officer is calling for stronger alcohol policies as the province continues to report higher alcohol consumption rates than the national average.
On May 27, Henry released Living Well, Drinking Less: Reducing Alcohol Harms in B.C., a report documenting the impact of alcohol on British Columbians that drew on research expertise and data from the University of Victoria’s (UVic) Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research (CISUR).
This is the first time B.C.’s health officer has issued a report on alcohol since 2008.
“Drinking less alcohol is better for overall health,” provincial health officer Bonnie Henry said during the presentation at UVic. “While it is important for people to be able to make informed decisions about alcohol, the government has a key role to play in addressing factors that shape drinking behaviour through policy shifts.”
According to the report, people in B.C. consumed an average of 8.8 standard drinks per week in 2023, above the national average of 8.2 drinks and well beyond the recommended one to two drinks per week suggested to avoid most health risks.
The report found that alcohol consumption in the province has fallen to its lowest level in about 20 years, after peaking during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Island, Northern and Interior health regions were reported to have the highest alcohol consumption rates and alcohol-attributable deaths in the province.
Youth drinking has also declined significantly, with 38 per cent of B.C. youth aged 12 to 19 reporting they had tried alcohol in 2023, down from 58 per cent in 2003. Male seniors were identified as the group consuming the most alcohol, averaging about 15 standard drinks per week
Despite those declines, alcohol remains one of the leading causes of preventable death, injury and disability in Canada.
The report recommends six actions, including introducing warning labels on alcohol packaging, developing a provincial alcohol strategy and changing minimum pricing rules so alcohol prices are based on alcohol content instead of product volume.
Researchers and health officials also highlighted growing evidence linking alcohol consumption to cancer. The report states that alcohol contributes to approximately 7,000 new cancer cases annually in Canada, which also includes breast and colon cancers.
Tim Naimi, director of the CISUR, said clearer warning labels and pricing changes could significantly reduce alcohol related harms.
“Implementing effective government policy is the only modifiable means by which to achieve measurable reductions across the population,” Naimi said.
“Many of these recommendations are ones we have made in the Canadian Alcohol Policy Evaluation of B.C.,” added Naimi. “In particular, updating B.C.’s policies around minimum prices would save the most lives and lower B.C.’s budget deficit, and developing a provincial alcohol strategy would help pave the way for stronger public-health-oriented alcohol policies, which we have seen in jurisdictions like Northwest Territories and Newfoundland in recent years.”
Deputy provincial health officer Martin Lavoie said the province continues to see significant health impacts linked to alcohol use, including cancer, cardiovascular disease, liver disease and impaired driving incidents.
“People in B.C. are still drinking more than the national average,” Lavoie said. “That’s why it’s important to keep focusing on population-level measures like helping people understand the health impacts of alcohol.”
Henry said the report is intended to guide future discussions with government ministries and health officials about strengthening alcohol policies across the province.