Dry January: Want to cut back on alcohol? [Video]

Toronto –

As some people try to cut down their drinking and embrace Dry January, they may look to Canada’s health agencies for guidance — and find some conflicting advice. 

This week, the Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research launched a website where users can calculate their health risks — including cancer, heart disease and stroke — based on the amount of alcohol they consume. 

The website is built on guidelines issued two years ago by the government-supported Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction (CCSA), which said the risk of cancer rises at much lower levels of alcohol consumption than previously thought. Any more than two standard drinks a week puts people at higher risk, it said in its report. 

However, Health Canada has not adopted the changes the CCSA released in January 2023. It still advises Canadians to limit their drinks to 10 per week for women and 15 per …