A professor from StFX university is launching a new study to help consumers make informed decisions about how much they drink.
Dr. Kara Thompson is leading a team of researchers and scientists to discover the effects of putting warning labels on alcohol products. Her research has largely been in the field of substance abuse and people’s relationships with alcohol.
In January, Health Canada came out with new alcohol guidelines that were a stark change from previous recommendations. They showed that alcohol is a carcinogen and that consuming more than seven drinks per week can exponentially increase our risk for cancer.
“We had already applied for the grant before the guidelines came out, I’ve worked in the area of alcohol policy for a long time and there’s just been a lot of talk about warning labels and interest from consumers in better understanding the risks of the products they’re consuming,” said Thompson. “So certainly, it’s great timing that this aligns with the release of the new guidance, but we had been writing this before those were released.”
Thompson and her team will partner with a handful of local craft breweries to put warning labels on their products. She hopes that the study can show major alcohol companies that waning labels won’t dramatically hurt their sales.
“Consumers have the right to know this information and corporate social responsibility is an important part of your business,” said Thompson. “The reality is we’ve had a hard time getting any traction on warning labels when it comes to alcohol because of the pushback from the industry. So we’re really hoping that this project is maybe a step in the right direction.”
Something that Thompson is hoping becomes mainstream is the introduction of standard drink measurements on alcohol labels. In Canada, a standard drink is 17.05 millilitres, or 13.45 grams of pure alcohol. This is the equivalent of a bottle of beer (12 oz., 341 ml, 5% alcohol), a glass of wine (5 oz., 142 ml, 12% alcohol), or a shot glass of spirits (1.5 oz., 43 ml, 40% alcohol). Thompson says that not enough Canadians really know how much they’re drinking.
“We dramatically underestimate the amount that we drink and that has implications for our health in the long run,” said Thompson.
