Chris Selley: A scorching new critique of Canada’s ‘pseudo-scientific’ alcohol guidelines

The Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse and Addiction’s (CCSA’s) new Guidance on Alcohol and Health hit the news last month with an abstemious splash — and not just in Canada. Whereas the CCSA’s 2011 recommendation was to “reduce your long-term health risks” by limiting consumption to 10 drinks a week for women and 15 for men, the 2023 version offers a firm nudge toward teetotalling. Especially after three years of COVID-19, for many, that won’t be a very welcome message.

“No amount or kind of alcohol is good for your health,” states CCSA’s one-page infographic — which is all most Canadians will likely see. “Drinking alcohol, even a small amount, is damaging to everyone.”

These new recommendations occasioned much earnest reporting, some eye-rolling commentary and some polite pushback. Last week, however, the International Scientific Forum on Alcohol Research (ISFAR) released a scorching critique. “I am appalled by the conclusions of the authors,” wrote Dr. R. Curtis Ellison, a Boston University medical professor and chair of ISFAR. “They present a pseudo-scientific amalgamation of selected studies of low scientific validity that fit their preconceived notions and ignore many high-quality studies whose results may not support their own views.”