Algoma Public Health (APH) will be writing a letter to the federal government urging it to put warning labels on alcoholic beverage containers outlining the health dangers linked to booze.
APH board members - at their regular monthly meeting held on Wednesday evening - voiced their support for such a letter dated Feb. 8, 2023 and sent to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau by the Timiskaming Health Unit.
“We also have plans to make our own letter to bring to the board,” said Dr. John Tuinema, APH acting medical officer of health.
The Timiskaming Health Unit’s letter calls on the federal government to amend the Food and Drugs Act and make it mandatory that all alcoholic beverage containers have labels showing what constitutes a standard drink, the number of standard drinks in a beverage container and displaying messages about alcohol’s health risks - including cancer risks.
The Timiskaming Health Unit is calling on the government to endorse in principle Bill S254 – An Act to Amend the Food and Drugs Act (Warning Labels on Alcoholic Beverages) and Motion M-61 A National Warning Label Strategy for Alcoholic Products.
While in favour of the Timiskaming Health Unit’s letter, APH board member Suzanne Trivers said “I think it doesn’t necessarily take into consideration that people who will be reading those labels won’t know where to get help if they need it.”
“It’s a little bit judgy to be putting warning labels on things without recognizing that people don’t misuse substances without reason, and to not include information on that label about where to get help is not going to help,” Trivers told the board.
“We’re looking to put our own letter together on this, and perhaps what we could do then is do that, as well as briefly present some of the evidence around it,” Tuinema replied.
“I think that would be helpful especially because there are a lot of different areas where we’ve learned from. What comes to mind is the success shown in the research for things like warning labels on cigarettes and some of the best practices around it, so perhaps we could take this opportunity to provide that evidence,” Tuinema said.
The Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction released Canada’s Guidance on Alcohol and Health: Final Report in January, stating that all levels of alcohol consumption pose some health risks.
The report stated that alcohol is the direct cause of over 60 chronic diseases including at least seven types of cancer and that seven out of 10 Canadians are not aware that alcohol causes cancer.