Ottawa looking to implement more regulations on alcohol

The Department of Health is looking into more regulatory measures on alcohol, such as restricting glamorous depictions of drinking in movies, a federal report reveals. This comes after another proposal that will mandate cancer warnings on liquor, beer, and wine.

"Suggestions for regulatory measures included increasing the cost of alcohol, i.e. taxing it more, restricting the availability of alcohol, legislating generic packaging as is the case with cigarettes, offering tax incentives for producers of low or non-alcoholic beverages and non-liquor serving establishments, limiting or restricting alcohol advertising and restricting the depiction of alcohol consumption in movies," said the report, according to Blacklock’s Reporter.

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The findings were based on 20 focus groups commissioned by the Department of Health, which spent $99,790 on the research conducted by Ottawa-based pollster Phoenix Strategic Perspectives.

"The social dimension of alcohol consumption. Alcohol consumption is inextricably linked to socializing and fuelled, at least to some extent, by peer pressure," the report, titled Public Awareness Of Alcohol-Related Harms: Focus On Younger Adults, said. "Any communications strategy that ignores this is unlikely to be very effective."

In focus groups of those aged 19 to 35, findings suggested that young people are more receptive to communications or messaging about the harmful effects of alcohol consumption and that "such communications/messaging could impact their behaviour."

"Consequently, a communications strategy targeting young people would not face the challenge of having to overcome resistance to the basic message that there are risks and harms linked to the consumption of alcohol," it furthered.

New government guidelines recommend that adults consume no more than two bottles of beer a week. It says that more than three drinks per week "increases significantly" the risk of cancer, while seven drinks per week can increase the risk of heart disease.

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In 2023, the Department of Health commissioned Nanos Research to conduct polling on the implementation of mandatory cancer warning labels on liquor, beer, and wine. The results showed that 54 percent of respondents were in favour of the labels, although only 39 percent indicated that such warnings would lead them to "cut back on drinking."

The move away from alcohol comes as government entities push a "safer supply" of drugs on Canadians.

So-called "safer supply" drugs are also illegally obtained by organized crime groups and sold to Canadians throughout the country.

In March, it was reported that "thousands" of opiate pills seized by the RCMP in Prince George, British Columbia were obtained through the province’s "safe supply" program.

Over two dozen physicians and addiction experts signed an open letter earlier this month citing ‘widespread evidence’ that addicts abuse ‘safer supply’ sites and sell their ‘free’ hydromorphone on the black market.

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"Organized crime groups are actively involved in the redistribution of safe supply and prescription drugs," confirmed Corp. Jennifer Cooper of the RCMP’s Prince George detachment.

Last year, Rebel News reported on Toronto Public Health’s mission to hand out drug paraphernalia to the public as a part of the city’s "harm reduction" program. The city handed out crack pipes and syringes, free of charge.

In April, Ontario's Chief Medical Officer of Health, Kieran Moore, recommended that Premier Doug Ford raise the legal drinking age from 19 to 21, while also suggesting that the province decriminalize and ease access to hard drugs.