Alcohol use in British Columbia has reached a 20-year low after spiking during the COVID-19 pandemic, but a new report from the provincial health officer says consumption is still above both national and recommended levels. 

The report released Wednesday says that as of 2023, people in B.C. average 8.8 drinks per week, compared with the national average of 8.2 and significantly above the recommended one to two drinks per week to avoid most alcohol‑related health risks.

Among health regions, the Interior, Northern and Island Health have the highest levels of drinking per person.

Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said that when it comes to alcohol “less is best.”

“Drinking less alcohol is better for overall health, as has been confirmed by research and alcohol guidance in Canada,” said Henry in a statement. 

The report says alcohol use leads to harm, and as of 2023, an estimated six per cent of all deaths in B.C. were caused by alcohol use. 

“Hospitalization and death rates related to alcohol are highest in regions that have greater alcohol consumption levels,” read the report. 

“Male seniors are more likely to die or be hospitalized for reasons attributable to alcohol than female seniors and B.C. residents of other ages.”

Men in B.C. are drinking more than women and a higher proportion of males are “drinking heavily,” with consumption highest among male seniors in B.C., who average 15 drinks per week, the report says. 

In B.C., more than 60 per cent of people report drinking alcohol regularly, meaning they have consumed at least once a month in the last 12 months. 

The report says that while youth are not drinking as much as they have historically, 38 per cent of people aged 12 to 19 report having tried alcohol.

It also says most people surveyed in B.C. agree that the government has a role in making people aware of the health risks of alcohol consumption. 

“Knowledge about the health risks of alcohol is low in Canada, particularly when it comes to cancer and heart disease,” read the report.

“While other jurisdictions (e.g., the United States) require warning labels on alcoholic beverages, B.C. and other Canadian provinces do not.”  

Call for minimum pricing changes

The report makes six recommendations for the government, including shifting alcohol minimum pricing from the current volume‑based approach to one based on alcohol content, developing a provincial alcohol strategy and implementing warning labels for alcohol. 

A statement from the University of Victoria’s Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research issued Wednesday said the report draws research data from its organization. 

Institute director Tim Naimi said that in B.C., alcohol use remains well above the national average and is “a significant source of costs and harms in our province.”

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The provincial government spends more to fix the health and social harms of alcohol use than it makes in net revenue from alcohol sales and taxes, with an estimated deficit of $768 million in 2020, the report says. 

“Taking action to reduce alcohol‑related harms in B.C. would not only improve health outcomes but also help close this financial gap by lowering the costs of health care, enforcement, and other impacts,” the report reads.

Naimi said updating the province’s policies around minimum prices would save the most lives, while lowering B.C.’s budget deficit.

The researcher said the most inexpensive alcohol is the most dangerous alcohol since people always over-consume it when the prices are low. 

He said the minimum pricing policy sets a price based on the actual amount of ethanol in the container rather than having a flat price based on the liquid volume.

Naimi said both the government and the industry can benefit from the minimum pricing policy while reducing alcohol consumption. 

“Minimum pricing makes more revenue for the industry, and it does very good things for public health,” said the researcher. 

He said implementing a provincial alcohol task force across B.C. would also be helpful.

“Developing a provincial alcohol strategy would help pave the way for stronger public-health-oriented alcohol policies, which we have seen in jurisdictions like Northwest Territories and Newfoundland in recent years,” said Naimi in the statement.