Health Unit: 1 in 5 Huron County residents heavy drinkers

October 7, 2015

Huron County, ON – Nearly one in five Huron County residents age 12 and over are heavy drinkers, according to the Canadian Community Health Survey. Heavy drinking is defined as consuming five or more alcoholic drinks on one occasion, once a month or more.

“Drinking too much, too often is a concerning issue,” says Angela Willert, Senior Public Health Promoter. “People are often unaware of the consequences of over-drinking in the short and long term.”

Whether it’s a night of celebration or drinking games, it’s easy to lose track of how many drinks you’ve had. Continuous drinking can increase the risk of short- and long-term alcohol-related harm. The most common short-term risk of heavy drinking is a ‘hangover’ – headache, fatigue and nausea. However, more serious risks include:

  • Alcohol poisoning.
  • Violence and injuries (car crashes, falls, fights).
  • Risky sexual behavior.
  • Poor or regrettable decisions.
  • Problems with finances, work or school.
  • Long-term health effects, such as liver cirrhosis, heart problems, cancer.

Canada’s Low-Risk Alcohol Drinking Guidelines help adults who choose to drink to make informed choices about their alcohol consumption. The Guidelines recommend:

  • Women consume no more than 10 drinks a week and no more than two drinks a day most days.
  • Men consume no more than 15 drinks a week and no more than three drinks a day most days.

For special occasions, the Guidelines recommend no more than three drinks at any one time to help limit harm from alcohol consumption.

“These guidelines are limits, not goals – less is always more,” adds Willert. “And it doesn’t work to save all of your drinks for the weekend.”

There is no such thing as ‘risk-free’ drinking, but following the Guidelines can lower your risk.

The Health Unit’s Rethink Your Drinking campaign promotes the Canadian Low-Risk Alcohol Drinking Guidelines to help change the way we think about and use alcohol. For more information, visit www.rethinkyourdrinking.ca.

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For more information: Our media contact is: Rita Marshall, Communications Coordinator, 519-482-3416 (or 1-877-837-6143) ext. 2023 or rmarshall@huroncounty.ca.

Our spokesperson is: Angela Willert, Senior Public Health Promoter. Our media contact will connect you to our spokesperson on this topic.

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For more information contact:

Susan Cronin, County Clerk
519.524.8394 (ext 3257)
scronin@huroncounty.ca