- A study in 2012 showed that people from Newfoundland and Labrador were more likely to exceed low-risk drinking guidelines than those in other provinces. In another 2008 survey, 24.5 per cent of respondents from this province reported monthly heavy drinking, the highest percentage of all provinces in Canada.
- In the most recent study on the Costs of Substance Abuse in Canada, it was estimated that there were a total of 8,103 deaths in Canada attributable to alcohol per year. (J. Rehm, D. Baliunas, S. Brochu, B. Fischer, W. Gnam, J. Patra, S. Popova, A. Sarnocinska-Hart, B. Taylor. The costs of substance abuse in Canada 2002. Ottawa, ON: Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse.)
- It is estimated that alcohol-related deaths would be reduced by approximately 4,600 per year if all Canadians that drink stayed within the low-risk drinking guidelines. (P. Butt, D. Beirness, L. Gliksman, C. Paradis, and T. Stockwell. Alcohol and Health in Canada: a summary of evidence and guidelines for low risk drinking, 2011. Ottawa, ON: Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse.)
- According to the Conference Board of Canada, Newfoundland and Labrador has one of the highest rates of heavy drinking in Canada and we also have one of the highest rates of chronic diseases such as cancer heart disease and diabetes.
- According to the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse, after tobacco, alcohol is the substance that causes the most harm in Canada.
- The International Agency on Cancer Research (IARC), classifies alcohol as a known cancer-causing substance (carcinogen) and drinking alcohol is considered carcinogenic in humans.
- Alcohol misuse is a significant risk factor for numerous chronic health conditions, such as cirrhosis of the liver and several types of cancers, as well as acute problems such as injuries (e.g. from road crashes), violence and suicide.
- Every year in Canada, hundreds of people are killed and thousands are injured in impaired driving accidents.
- The World Health Organization (WHO) indicates that alcohol ranks second out of 26 risk factors for death, disease and disability, with only tobacco causing more harm in high-income nations like Canada. This places the burden from alcohol higher than that from other health risks including obesity, physical inactivity, illicit drug use, unhealthy diet and others. (World Health Organization, WHO Global Status Report on Alcohol 2004.)