Rethink the Drink: Decreasing alcohol consumption through education and informed decision making

Abstract

Excessive alcohol consumption is an ongoing societal and public health concern in Canada and globally. It is apparent that there is a lack of knowledge regarding the detrimental health consequences, and the social and financial impacts alcohol misuse can cause or contribute to. Furthermore, the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in increasing alcohol sales and consumption, proving it to be the optimal time for the Canadian Government to act and advocate for the health of Canadians. Throughout our history, there have been many notable attempts to reduce alcohol consumption from methods such as temperance movements to prohibition, to educational campaigns and organizations dedicated to alcohol awareness, taxation, and purchasing age requirements. Certain efforts to decrease alcohol consumption have fallen short and some have shown promise, but it is clear that Canada still has the potential to implement effective policy change to mitigate the associated risks of alcohol misuse, and provide Canadians with the opportunity to make informed health decisions. Through research conducted for this report, one of the most promising and currently underutilized policy options to address this issue is altering labels on consumable alcohol to include health information. Health information can be presented and conveyed through labelling in various ways such as health warning statements, pictograms/images, nutrition facts, or general drinking guidelines. Amending the labelling requirements for alcohol would be a valuable addition to the existing policies in Canada, and would likely decrease alcohol consumption.