It’s Time For The Alcohol Industry To Face Facts

The Saturday Huddle is a weekly column that features opinion, analysis and reflections on Huddle stories, podcasts and business news in the region. Derek Montague is a Huddle reporter based in Halifax.

I am old enough to remember the days when you would walk into a restaurant and the adults chose a smoking or non-smoking section. I was only a kid at the time, but smoking culture was everywhere, despite a lot of education on the harmful effects of the product.

Growing up, adults would shamelessly puff away in front of kids, who would warn their parents of the dangers of secondhand smoke. The adults would often chide the youngsters for ruining their relaxing moment with a beloved cigarette.

Things changed overnight in Canada. Advertisements were restricted, and graphic warning labels were put on every pack. Most importantly, smoking was banned in public places. At first, bars were allowed to have smoking sections but soon that went away as well.

There was a dramatic shift in how we viewed smoking. It used to be romanticized and cool- Hollywood stars puffing on a cigarette while wearing a fedora hat and dressed to the nines.

This was an important change in our society (although you will still meet smokers who, to this day, complain of feeling shamed for their habit). Science and public health finally overcame lobbying, money, and decades of false advertising.

But I was always puzzled by our culture’s hypocrisy. Because that fervent effort in the 90s and 2000s to change dangerous smoking habits never touched the alcohol industry.

We the public, and those in government, know that alcohol is a factor in thousands of deaths each year. It has caused violence, addiction, and strife across the world. Yet, the industry is allowed to advertise its products; showing young healthy people having fun and acting cool while holding a beer. They don’t have to show the carnage like a pack of cigarettes must do by law.

And yet we are at a dangerous time with alcohol consumption. Reports indicate that alcohol consumption increased during the pandemic. It didn’t help that many jurisdictions allowed for beer deliveries in an effort to help struggling bars and breweries. With bored, isolated people looking for a crutch, we gave them a dangerous one.

The romanticizing of alcohol has led to a collective denial of how harmful it actually is. There is no better example than the reaction online to Dr. Robert Strang’s recent warnings.

In a recent CBC interview, Nova Scotia’s chief medical officer of health responded to a new study that shows alcohol is even more dangerous than previously thought. The Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction has concluded that six or more drinks a week for men lead to higher risks of disease and illness, including cancer. For women, all it takes is three or more drinks to become at risk.

Previous guidelines suggested it was safe to drink up to 15 and 10 per week. In hindsight, such limits seem way too generous.

The response to Dr. Strang’s comments and warnings (based on scientific information) was shocking but not surprising. Online, people were angry, accusing Dr. Strang of trying to take away the remaining pleasures of a stressful life.

“Oh yeah, let’s all be teetotalers so we can let Covid damage the crap out of us. I love how he lets the pandemic run rampant, but God forbid we have a drink and enjoy ourselves,” said one commentator on Twitter.

For the record, I am not a teetotaler. I used to be a heavy party drinker in my youth and now will have an occasional beer or two on special occasions. I have nothing against people choosing to drink.

Remember, no one is proposing new laws. We are not going to do an American-style prohibition. Dr. Strang was just talking about the report and how it will lead to proposed new guidelines. But God forbid we give people facts so they can make better-informed decisions before drinking.

People don’t want to be reminded that a product that has become a celebrated part of Maritime and Canadian culture is actually a poison that can kill. And the report is pointing out the physical toll alcohol has on the body. Even if it wasn’t a risk for disease, the addictiveness of booze has caused untold strife over generations.

So why has the alcohol industry been given a pass? Why can they promote their product without any warnings or severe advertising restrictions?

Dr. Strang actually provides insight in his interview with CBC on the lobbying power the alcohol industry has over government decisions. He mentions how the industry used to have a seat on an advisory community board (but not anymore).

He also talked about the need to finally put warning labels on alcohol products, much like we do with cigarettes and cannabis. The article points out that such labels were tried by the Yukon in 2017, only to be pulled quickly after lobbyists put the pressure on.

The government officials admitted they stopped the pilot project out of sheer cowardice. They worried the industry would sue them over the labels, so the government caved.

Can you imagine if a government stopped putting warning labels on cigarettes because tobacco lobbyists threatened a lawsuit? The public outrage would be enough to topple those officials in the next election.

But this is the power the booze industry still has over government and the public.

We are long overdue for a cultural shift when it comes to our drinking. Yes, we celebrate our bars and our local craft brewers; and we joke on Facebook about how we unwind with wine. But it’s time for the industry, and consumers, to acknowledge the risks associated with a favourite habit.

Decades ago we came to the same terms with tobacco. Science is science, and a health risk is a health risk, no matter how much you wish it wasn’t. I think Dr. Strang put it best:

“The alcohol industry is not going to be happy about this, but this is a consumer product so my position would be that Canadians, Nova Scotians, deserve to have accurate information about the risks of a product. We’re not telling them they can’t use it, but you should have accurate information about it to help you make your choices about how you use that product.”