Question Period Note: S-202 and S-203- Alcohol Labelling an Marketing

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KEY MESSAGES
• The health risks of consuming alcohol are well established. The Government supports public awareness activities to reduce alcohol-related harms.
• We are reviewing Bill S-202 & S-203 and monitoring them closely as they move through the Parliamentary process.
• We continue to closely monitor trends in alcohol use and harms, and support research to guide future policies.
IF PRESSED ON CANADA’S GUIDANCE ON ALCOHOL AND HEALTH (CGAH)
• When CGAH was released by the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction (CCSA) in 2023, Health Canada provided CCSA an additional $2 million to engage with stakeholders across the country to help guide the development of tools on alcohol use for Canadians.
• This engagement helped us better understand the impacts of alcohol use in Canada, its effects on various populations and how to effectively speak to all Canadians about risks related to alcohol use.
• CCSA has since developed tools that ensure the guidance resonates with a diversity of populations including youth, women and Indigenous populations.
IF PRESSED ON GOVERNMENT`S EFFORTS TO ADDRESS ALCOHOL-RELATED HARMS
• The government supports public awareness activities to reduce alcohol-related harms.
• By increasing awareness, we help people in Canada make informed decisions about their alcohol use.
• We continue to closely monitor trends in alcohol use and harms and support research to guide future policies.
IF PRESSED ON ALCOHOL LABELLING
• Our government is aware that some countries are introducing alcohol warning labels to provide health information.
• In Canada, alcohol beverages are required to carry certain labelling such as allergens, and the amount of alcohol contained in a beverage.
• We continue to monitor alcohol policy internationally and research related to public health interventions.
IF PRESSED ON ALCOHOL MARKETING
• Alcohol beverage broadcast advertising is governed by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC)’s Code for Broadcast Advertising of Alcoholic Beverages, which is applied generally across platforms.
• The CRTC’s Code places content restrictions on alcohol broadcasting advertising, including restrictions on advertising targeting youth and encouraging alcohol consumption.
• The Food and Drugs Act also prohibits advertising of any food, including alcohol, in a manner that is false, misleading or deceptive.

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KEY STATS
• Alcohol incurs the highest substance use-related costs to society. In 2020, the economic burden of alcohol use in Canada was estimated to be greater than $19 billion, with $6.27 billion of that spent on health care.
• In 2020, there were 118,000 hospitalizations, 17,000 deaths, and 652,000 emergency department visits due to conditions caused by alcohol use in Canada.
• Alcohol use is a causal factor in over 200 diseases and conditions, including fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD), heart disease, and seven types of cancer.