Alcohol Consumption

  • Charts and Tables

    Charts and Tables

    Figure 1.9

    Percentage of adults (aged ≥ 18) reporting drinking no alcohol in the past 12 months, by province/‌territory — 2014 reporting year

    E Interpret with caution owing to large variability in the estimate.
    Data source: Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey.

    Data Table

    Province/TerritoryCasesPercent (%)Quality IndicatorLower bound of 95% confidence intervalUpper bound of 95% confidence interval
    NU8,20036.0E22.949.1
    PE26,40023.019.426.6
    MB208,00023.020.225.8
    NT7,20023.018.527.5
    NL93,00022.019.424.6
    NB130,60022.019.924.1
    ON2,287,60022.020.823.2
    AB672,00022.020.123.9
    NS155,20021.018.823.2
    BC749,40021.019.322.7
    SK157,60019.417.121.7
    YT5,20018.515.321.7
    QC1,011,20015.914.717.1

    E Interpret with caution owing to large variability in the estimate.
    Data source: Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey.

    Figure 1.10

    Percentage of adults (aged ≥ 18) reporting drinking more alcohol than recommended by the World Cancer Research Fund† in the past 12 months, by province/‌territory — 2014 reporting year

    † The WCRF’s recommended drinking guidelines are no more than 2 drinks per day for men and no more than 1 drink per day for women.
    E Interpret with caution owing to large variability in the estimate.
    “—” Data not available.
    Data source: Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey.

    Data Table

    Province/TerritoryCasesPercent (%)Quality IndicatorLower bound of 95% confidence intervalUpper bound of 95% confidence interval
    QC576,8009.38.410.2
    BC304,0008.67.69.6
    SK64,6008.26.89.6
    ON815,4007.97.28.6
    NL31,8007.65.69.6
    MB68,0007.55.99.1
    PE7,4006.6E4.48.8
    NU8003.6E1.16.1
    NS––––
    NB––––
    AB––––
    YT––––
    NT––––

    † The WCRF’s recommended drinking guidelines are no more than 2 drinks per day for men and no more than 1 drink per day for women.
    E Interpret with caution owing to large variability in the estimate.
    “—” Data not available.
    Data source: Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey.

  • About this indicator

    About this indicator

    Indicator definition

    1. The percentage of adults aged 18 or older who reported consuming no alcohol in the past 12 months.
    2. The percentage of adults aged 18 or older who reported exceeding the World Cancer Research Fund’s (WCRF) recommended drinking guidelines (two drinks per day for men, one drink per day for women) in the past 12 months.

    Results are presented by province/territory using data from the 2014 Canadian Community Health Survey.

    Measured since

    The 2009 Cancer System Performance Report.

    Update frequency

    Every two years.

    Why measure this?

    Alcohol consumption increases the risk of cancer of the esophagus, mouth, throat (pharynx and larynx), breast, liver, colon and rectum.1, 2, 3 No level of alcohol consumption is considered safe in terms of cancer risk. However, studies have also found a protective effect of certain alcoholic drinks for cardiovascular health for some people. Because of this, many recommendations, including those of the WCRF,2 have outlined what they consider low-risk levels of consumption. Understanding rates of alcohol consumption across the country can indicate the level of adherence to low-risk drinking recommendations and the effectiveness of prevention strategies to limit excess alcohol consumption.

    What are the key findings?

    • The percentage of adults who reported drinking no alcohol in the past 12 months ranged from 15.9% in Quebec to 36.0% in Nunavut in the 2014 survey (Figure 1.9).
    • The percentage of adults who reported exceeding the WCRF guidelines ranged from 3.6% in Nunavut to 9.3% in Quebec (based on eight provinces/territories providing data) in 2014 (Figure 1.10).

    References

    1. World Cancer Research Fund / American Institute for Cancer Research. Food, Nutrition, Physical Activity, and the Prevention of Cancer: a Global Perspective. Washington DC: 2007.
    2. World Cancer Research Fund. Alcoholic drinks [Internet]. London (UK): WCRF; [cited 2015 Nov 30]. Available from: http://www.wcrf.org/int/research-we-fund/cancer-prevention-recommendations/alcoholic-drinks.
    3. Canadian Cancer Society. Alcohol [Internet]. Toronto (ON): Canadian Cancer Society; 2016 [cited 2016 Feb 22]. Available from: http://www.cancer.ca/en/cancer-information/cancer-101/what-is-a-risk-factor/alcohol/.

     

  • Data specifications

    Data specifications

    Alcohol Consumption – no alcohol intake

    Definition: Percentage of adults aged 18 years and older that reported drinking no alcohol in the past 12 months

    Numerator: Number of adults aged 18 years and older who reported drinking no alcohol in the past 12 months

    Denominator: Total population aged 18 years and older

    Data source: Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS)

    Measurement timeframe: 2014

    CCHS variables: During the past 12 months, have you had a drink of beer, wine, liquor or any other alcoholic beverage?

    Stratification variables: Province/territory

    Provinces/territories with data available: All provinces/territories

    Notes:

    1. The word “drink” means: 1 bottle or can of beer or a glass of draft, 1 glass of wine or a wine cooler, or 1 drink or cocktail with 1 1/2 ounces of liquor.
    2. CCHS data are based on a representative sample which is then extrapolated to the overall population.

    Alcohol Consumption – exceeding low-risk drinking guidelines

    Definition: The percentage of adults aged 18 or older who reported exceeding the World Cancer Research Fund’s (WCRF) recommended drinking guidelines (two drinks per day for men, one drink per day for women) in the past 12 months

    Numerator: Number of individuals aged 18 years and older who reported exceeding the WCRF’s recommended drinking guidelines

    Denominator: Total population aged 18 years and older

    Data source: Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS)

    Measurement timeframe: 2014

    CCHS variables:

    1. During the past 12 months, have you had a drink of beer, wine, liquor or any other alcoholic beverage?
    2. Thinking back over the past week, did you have a drink of beer, wine, liquor or any other alcoholic beverage?
    3. How many drinks did you have on each day during the past week?

    Stratification variables: Province/territory

    Provinces/territories with data available: QC, BC, SK, ON, NL, MB, PE, NU

    Notes:

    1. The word “drink” means: 1 bottle or can of beer or a glass of draft, 1 glass of wine or a wine cooler, or 1 drink or cocktail with 1 1/2 ounces of liquor.
    2. CCHS data are based on a representative sample which is then extrapolated to the overall population.
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