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Alcohol Consumption: A Different Kind of Canadian Mosaic

  • Quantitative Research
  • Published:
Canadian Journal of Public Health Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Objectives

To determine the way Canadians consume alcohol beyond drinking amounts and to verify if the drinking act is similar across provinces given that, in Canada, alcohol policies come under provincial jurisdiction.

Methods

Subjects were 10,466 current drinkers (5,743 women and 4,723 men) aged 18 to 76 years, who participated in the GENACIS Canada study.

Results

In Canada, there are three main patterns of consuming alcohol. Maritimers tend to drink more per occasion, report more binge drinking and largely prefer beer. In the Prairies, people tend to drink less, to drink less often during a meal and to favour spirits. Finally, drinkers from Québec, Ontario and British Columbia drink more often, drink wine more often, drink spirits less often, and drink more often during a meal than drinkers from the other provinces. The same patterns are observed in both sexes, although the differences across provinces are less pronounced among women.

Conclusion

Knowledge about these three drinking groups should be used to increase the legitimacy and effectiveness of alcohol policies in general.

Résumé

Objectif: Cet article décrit de quelles manières les Canadiens consomment de l’alcool au-delà des quantités consommées. Étant donné qu’au Canada, les politiques relatives à l’alcool relèvent d’une juridiction provinciale, les profils individuels de consommation à travers les provinces sont présentés.

Méthodologie: Les sujets de cette étude sont 10 466 consommateurs d’alcool (5743 femmes et 4723 hommes), âgés entre 18 et 76 ans, qui ont participé à l’enquête GENACIS Canada.

Résultats: Au Canada, il existe trois grandes façons de consommer de l’alcool. Les résidents des Maritimes préfèrent la bière, ils boivent de plus grandes quantités par occasion et ils sont plus nombreux à rapporter une consommation épisodique et abusive. Les résidents des Prairies préfèrent les spiritueux, ils boivent moins et ils boivent moins souvent lors d’un repas. Finalement, les Québécois, les Ontariens et les résidents de la Colombie-Britannique boivent plus de vin et moins de spiritueux, ils boivent plus fréquemment et ils boivent plus souvent lors d’un repas que les résidents des autres provinces. Ces profils sont les mêmes selon le sexe, mais les différences régionales sont moins prononcées chez les femmes.

Conclusion: La connaissance de ces trois groupes est utile pour légitimer et améliorer l’efficacité des politiques relatives à l’alcool.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Département de sociologie, GRASP, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Pavillon 7077 av. du Parc, C.P. 6128, succursale Centre-ville, H3C 3J7, Canada

    Catherine Paradis MSc & Andrée Demers PhD

  2. GRASP, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada

    Elyse Picard MSc

Authors
  1. Catherine Paradis MSc
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  2. Andrée Demers PhD
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  3. Elyse Picard MSc
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Catherine Paradis MSc.

Additional information

Acknowledgements: Funding for this research was provided through an operations grant from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) (Kate Graham (PI) and Demers (Co-PI)). We are grateful to the staff at the Institute for Social Research (ISR) at York University and to Jolicoeur for their assistance in implementing the survey, especially David Northrup and Renée Elspett-Koeppen of ISR for their contributions to the design of the survey. This research was conducted as part of the GENACIS project, a collaborative multinational project led by Sharon Wilsnack and affiliated with the Kettil Bruun Society for Social and Epidemiological Research on Alcohol.

Conflict of Interest: None to declare.

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Paradis, C., Demers, A. & Picard, E. Alcohol Consumption: A Different Kind of Canadian Mosaic. Can J Public Health 101, 275–280 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03405286

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03405286

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