Health risks of alcohol

Did you know that alcohol use is a leading cause of disease, disability, and premature death in Canada, even though those harms are preventable? The short-term health risks of alcohol use can include injuries, violence, and alcohol poisoning. Alcohol use also increases risk for serious long-term health issues, such as: cancer, liver disease, heart disease, stroke, mental illness, and alcohol dependence. In 2020, the health, social, and legal costs of alcohol consumption in New Brunswick totaled $411 million.

Canada’s Guidance on Alcohol and Health provides people living in Canada with important information about alcohol and health, allowing them to assess their personal risk and consider their alcohol use. With this guidance, we see that even small amounts of alcohol are not good for health:

• There is a continuum of risk associated with weekly alcohol use where the risk of harm is:
  • 0 drinks per week — Not drinking has benefits, such as better health, and better sleep.
  • 2 standard drinks or less per week — You are likely to avoid alcohol-related consequences for yourself or others at this level.
  • 3–6 standard drinks per week — Your risk of developing several types of cancer, including breast and colon cancer, increases at this level.
  • 7 standard drinks or more per week — Your risk of heart disease or stroke increases significantly at this level.
• Consuming more than 2 standard drinks per occasion is associated with an increased risk of harm to self and others, including injuries and violence.
• When pregnant or trying to get pregnant, there is no known safe amount of alcohol use.
• When breastfeeding, not drinking alcohol is safest.

• In 2022, the rate of heavy drinking in New Brunswick (18.9%) was significantly higher than the national average (15.6%).
• In 2021, in New Brunswick, there was a significant difference in heavy drinking between males and females: 24% of males reported heavy drinking compared to 14.1% of females. It should be noted the health risks increase more steeply for females than for males after six standard drinks per week.
• Data from the 2021-2022 New Brunswick Student Wellness Survey showed that: 45% of youth in grades 6 to 12 reported having tried alcohol, 17.8% reported regular drinking, and 11.6% reported heavy drinking. The average age of onset (first trying alcohol) was 14 years old.

The Department of Health has launched a five-year pilot project to reduce substance use, including alcohol, and related harms in youth, through the implementation of Planet Youth in four sites across New Brunswick. Planet Youth focuses on creating healthy community environments to support youth health and well-being. Planet Youth was developed based on the Icelandic Prevention Model, which has proven to reduce substance use in Iceland for over 20 years.

The Interdepartmental Addiction and Mental Health Action Plan provides a framework to guide and align current visions, plans and priorities for 2021-2025, as well as to foster increased collaboration amongst stakeholders and partners in mental health. The plan is also in line with the three main goals of the Department of Health’s Strategic Plan:

1) Improve the health and well-being of New Brunswickers

2) Increase alignment and accountability of the health system and its partners

3) Improve efficiency and effectiveness of the delivery of health services

If an individual has concerns about their own alcohol use, there are several options for support:

• They can speak with their primary care provider
• They can visit Bridge the gApp, an online resource to support individuals with mental health and substance use concerns
• The Department of Health’s Addiction and Mental Health Services branch, in collaboration with the Regional Health Authorities, offers a wide variety of clinical services that can match individuals with the level of service that they need