Your HEALTHAlcohol

Drinking less is better.

Research shows that no amount or kind of alcohol is good for your health. It doesn’t matter what kind of alcohol it is—wine, beer, cider or spirits. Drinking even a small amount of alcohol is damaging to your health, no matter your age, sex, gender, ethnicity, tolerance for alcohol, or lifestyle.

Alcohol is a carcinogen and can increase your risk of developing cancer and other serious health conditions like heart and liver disease.

That’s why if you drink, it’s better to drink less. It is recommended that adults limit their alcohol consumption to 2 standard drinks per week or less. Any reduction in your alcohol use is helpful.

Your risk of health damage from drinking is:

Low if you drink 2 or less standard drinks per week
Moderate if you drink between 3-6 standard drinks per week
Very high if you drink 7 or more standard drinks per week

For more information on Canada’s Guidance on Alcohol and Health, please visit the Canadian Centre of Substance Use and Addiction.

What is a Standard Drink?

Use caution when purchasing alcohol, especially premixed beverages. The alcohol by volume (%ABV) can be higher or lower depending on the brand and type of beverage. Some beverages may look like a standard drink size but contain a higher %ABV and be the same or more than one standard drink.

If you do not know how many standard drinks you are drinking, use the Standard Drink Calculator below to find out.

Convert your drinks into standard drink sizes

For an amount of alcohol, find out how many Canadian standard drinks it represents.

Size:

ml
oz

Strength (% alcohol):

Convert your standard drinks into volume

For a number of Canadian standard drinks and % alcohol, find the volume it represents.

Number of std. drinks:

Strength (% alcohol):

Developed by: University of Vancouver

When Zero's the Limit

Lower-Risk Alcohol Use

If you drink alcohol, consider following these tips to lower your risk of short-term and long-term health risks. Remember that any reduction in your drinking is better for your health.

Youth & Drinking

Alcohol impairs judgement and puts you at a greater risk of assault, injury, and motor vehicle collisions. Motor vehicle collisions are the number one cause of death among young people in Canada and it is estimated that alcohol is a factor in around 50% of those collisions. Youth should always plan for a safe ride home. Never drive after drinking or get into a vehicle with someone who has been drinking.

Each year in Chatham-Kent, there are on average 1664 emergency department visits from people aged 15 and older due to alcohol consumption alone. Most of these hospital visits are because of unintentional injuries and motor vehicle collisions. Drinking to get drunk (binge drinking) puts you at risk for serious injuries and even death. Youth should protect themselves from serious injury by not drinking to get drunk.

Did you know? 1 in 6 high school students in Ontario report not remembering what happened when they were drinking (“blacking out”) on at least one occasion in the last year. People who are not experienced with alcohol are often unable to monitor their level of intoxication and continue to drink. This puts youth at a greater risk of alcohol poisoning. Youth should not drink alcohol quickly or in large amounts.
Alcohol can harm the way the brain and body develop. The brain does not finish developing until age 25. Youth should delay drinking for as long as possible to protect brain development.
Drinking habits established during adolescence contribute to drinking habits in adulthood. The younger a person starts drinking, the greater the risk of poor health outcomes and alcohol addiction later in life.

Drivers with a G1, G2, M1, or M2 license and young drivers under the age of 21 must have a blood alcohol concentration of 0%. Immediate license suspensions and fines are incurred for these drivers found with alcohol in their system while driving.
It is illegal to use a fake ID to obtain alcohol. It is also illegal to use someone else’s ID as your own to obtain alcohol.
If you are found drinking or intoxicated in public places, police have the right to confiscate your alcohol, arrest and/or fine you.
If you are a parent or guardian and allow an underage event with alcohol to be held on your property you may be held legally responsible for injuries that result from the event. For more information, visit CAMH.

Alcohol Poisoning

Alcohol affects people differently based on their size, gender, drinking history, strength of drinks consumed, and drinking timeframe. Alcohol poisoning can happen when someone drinks too much alcohol too fast. Alcohol poisoning can be deadly.

Your HEALTHAlcohol

Drinking less is better.

What is a Standard Drink?

Convert your drinks into standard drink sizes

Convert your standard drinks into volume

When Zero's the Limit

Lower-Risk Alcohol Use

Youth & Drinking

Alcohol Poisoning

Substances

Related Content & Links

For More Information

CK Public Health

Health Information