Are people rethinking the amount they're drinking? Windsor residents weigh in on new consumption recommendations

New guidance on alcohol consumption for Canadians released Tuesday is being met with mixed response from people in Windsor, Ont.

According to the new guidance from The Canadian Centre for Substance Abuse and Addiction, the risk for those who consume two standard drinks or less per week is low; three to six drinks a week is moderate; and above six standard drinks per week is increasingly high.

“What's changed is that we've had a decade of research since the previous guidelines have come out,” said Kara Thompson, associate professor of psychology at St. Francis Xavier University in Nova Scotia.

Thompson was one of the consultants involved in developing the new guidelines.

“And the scientific advances we've really seen the evidence come a long way and that evidence has shown us that really no amount of alcohol is safe and that the more you drink, the more you increase your risk for alcohol-related harms,” she said.

This is the first time since 2011 the CCSA’s low-risk alcohol drinking guidelines have been updated. According to the new recommendations, Canadians should try to consume no more than two standard drinks per week in order to avoid serious health consequences.

“I don't think it's realistic for me,” said Windsor resident, Jude Quick. “For me it's not realistic. I don't know about for you, but for me, it's not.”

Quick explained its understood alcohol in excess is not good but that the new guidelines won’t impact her consumption decisions.

“I don't think it's going to change my lifestyle. It might cut me down a little bit, but I enjoy a drink with dinner and I enjoy my five o'clock glass of wine and after that, I'm okay.”

Previous guidelines on low-risk alcohol consumption suggested a maximum of 10 drinks per week for women and 15 drinks per week for men.

Kevin Durham told CTV News the updated guidelines wouldn’t impact him.

“It wouldn't work for me because I have three beers a day,” Durham exclaimed. “I've been doing it now for probably about 40 years so that there, and I don't know. Doesn't seem to bother me and actually I'm losing weight.”

“I think it's crazy because you know, they, a lot of people aren't going to do it. You're used to doing what you're doing and as long as you're in pretty good health, then people aren't going to make a big deal out of it.”

University student Niko Jones said two drinks per week was fine from his perspective.

“That sounds fairly reasonable,” Jones said. “Personally, I don't drink as much. I'm in computer science, not the most party type. But I know people who drink more than that. And I know people who definitely drink a lot less than that.”

Others say they think the drastically reduced number of recommended drinks per week is suitable but not realistic for many Canadians.

“I think that that's appropriate, more appropriate,” Nicole Nostalgia said. “But I don't think it's doable for Canadians.”

The report points out that each year there are 7,000 alcohol-related cancer deaths in Canada.

“I totally believe that,” Nostalgia said. “Just, you hear more and more that younger people are getting cancer and who does a lot of the drinking? Younger people.”

Nostalgia continued, “I think we all know that less is better. But that's not the case. We don't do what we always think we should do.”