The research series show that in 2002, the alcohol-related costs to Canadian society amounted to $14.6 billion. The figure includes health care and policing costs. The findings also show that approximately 26% of Canadians drink excessively each month. The 20% top drinkers in the population, who are 15 and older, drank 70% of the total alcohol sold in 2004.
One of the key recommendations the CCSA has is to “consistently implement minimum alcohol pricing to remove inexpensive sources of alcohol from the market.” Some provinces already use a minimum price strategy, however it is not consistent throughout Canada.
The other recommendations include, “Implementing pricing based on alcohol content to create price incentives for lower-strength, less-hazardous products”, and “Indexing prices to inflation to ensure alcohol does not become cheaper compared to other goods over time”.
Gerald Thomas issued a statement on the new research series. “Cheap, high-strength alcohol is often favoured by heavy drinkers and young adults. Establishing minimum pricing will deter risky drinking. Light to moderate drinkers will be less affected, particularly those who choose low- to regular-strength alcohol products.”
Read the full policy briefing, titled “Alcohol Price Policy Series: Reducing Harm To Canadians“.
Source: CCSA News Release, CCSA
