Alcohol and Risk
If you have decided to drink alcohol, drinking it in moderation can help to lower the risks of alcohol-related harms. Canada’s Low-Risk Alcohol Drinking Guidelines can support individuals to make informed choices about alcohol consumption and reduce the short- and long-term health risks.
Canada’s Low-Risk Alcohol Drinking Guidelines are intended for Canadian adults aged 25–65 who choose to drink alcohol. The related resources below also provide advice for youth, young adults, older Canadians and other priority populations.
Resources to educate the public about low-risk alcohol consumption.
| Resource | Description | Organization |
|---|---|---|
| Cancer and Alcohol (LRDG Summary) | Provides information on the relationship between alcohol consumption and the risk of developing cancer. | Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction |
| Women and Alcohol (LRDG Summary) | Provides information on the risks and harms of alcohol consumption for women. | Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction |
| Knowing Your Limits with Alcohol: A Practical Guide to Assessing Your Drinking | Provides tips and guidance for individuals considering changing their alcohol consumption to a lower-risk level. This self-help resource can be used independently or with the guidance of a healthcare provider. | Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction |
Screening
Screening helps healthcare and allied professionals identify individuals who drink alcohol beyond low-risk levels. Screening tools typically involve a series of questions about a person’s self-reported use of alcohol and other relevant clinical information. Screens vary in length, target population and the substances or health issues for which they screen. Assessment for alcohol use disorder should always be conducted by qualified clinicians.
For additional information about alcohol screening or to share additional resources, contact alcohol@ccsa.ca.
These screens can be used for the initial assessment of alcohol use.
| Screens (one to four items) | Description | Target Population | Substances and/or Health Issues |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alcohol Screening and Brief Intervention for Youth: A Practitioner’s Guide | A two-item screen and in-depth assessment to identify youth at risk of alcohol-related problems. | Adolescents | Alcohol |
| Tolerance, Worried, Eye-Opener, Amnesia, K-Cut Down (TWEAK) | A four-item screen for people who are pregnant to screen for harmful drinking habits. | Pregnant People | Alcohol |
| Rapid Alcohol Problem Screen (RAPS4) | A four-item screen for alcohol use, which is to be used in emergency medical settings. | General | Alcohol |
| Tobacco, Alcohol, Prescription Medication and Other Substance Use (TAPS) | A four-item screen for alcohol and other substances, followed by substance-specific assessment questions. | General | Alcohol, Other Substances |
| Screens (five to ten items) | Description | Target Population | Substances and/or Health Issues |
|---|---|---|---|
| National Institute of Drug Abuse modified Alcohol, Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test (NM ASSIST) | A five-item screen to identify risky alcohol and other substance use in adult patients. | General | Alcohol, Other Substances |
| Screening to Brief Intervention (S2BI) | A seven-item screen to categorize alcohol and other substance use by adolescent patients into different risk categories. | Adolescents | Alcohol, Other Substances |
| Detection of Alcohol and Drug Problems in Adolescents (DEP-ADO) | A seven-item screen that assesses adolescents' problematic use of alcohol and other substances. | Adolescents | Alcohol, Other Substances, Mental Health |
| Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT) | A ten-item questionnaire used to screen for excessive drinking and alcohol use disorders. | General, Adolescents, Older Adults, Pregnant People | Alcohol |
| Brief Michigan Alcoholism Screening Test (BMAST) | A ten-item screen designed to assess problems with alcohol use. | General | Alcohol |
| Screens (eleven or more items) | Description | Target Population | Substances and/or Health Issues |
|---|---|---|---|
| Global Appraisal of Individual Needs-Short Screener (GAIN-SS) | A 23-item screen for general populations to identify one or more behavioural health disorders. Note: Copyright | General | Alcohol, Other Substances, Mental Health |
Brief Intervention
Brief interventions are short, motivational one-on-one conversations between healthcare professionals and patients. Healthcare and allied professionals use brief interventions to support individuals to understand their current drinking patterns and make attainable changes in drinking behaviour.
Brief intervention resources for healthcare and allied professionals.
| Resource | Description | Organization |
|---|---|---|
| Knowing Your Limits with Alcohol: A Practical Guide to Assessing Your Drinking | Provides tips and guidance for individuals considering changing their alcohol consumption to a lower-risk level. This self-help resource can be used independently or with the guidance of a healthcare provider. | Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction |
| Motivational Interviewing: Alcohol | A video explaining motivational interviewing for alcohol use in the context of primary care physicians. | College of Family Physicians of Canada |
| Art of Motivation | An online resource for administrators, counsellors, teachers and others who want to help students avoid drug problems and other obstacles to reaching their full potential. | Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research |
Videos
These videos highlight key aspects of a brief intervention, including motivational interviewing and non-judgmental approaches.
Treatment
These resources can be used to guide healthcare and allied professionals in treatment and referral for alcohol use disorder in their care settings.
| Resource | Description | Organization |
|---|---|---|
| Canadian Guideline on Alcohol Use Disorder among Older Adults | Provides guidance for clinicians on either preventing the development of alcohol use disorder or optimally assessing and treating older individuals, including pharmacological treatment. | Canadian Coalition on Seniors’ Mental Health |
| Alcohol Use Disorder Tool | Aims to guide primary care providers through the identification and management of individuals who have challenges with alcohol use. | Centre for Effective Practice |
| Clinical Best Practice Guidelines: Engaging Clients Who Use Substances | A tool to guide best practices and decision making for nurses working with clients who use substances. | Registered Nurses Association of Ontario |
| Engaging Clients with Substance Use Disorders | This free course aids nurses and health care professionals to support clients experiencing a substance use disorder. | Registered Nurses Association of Ontario |
