Responsible Drinking

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The Issue

Toasting friends with a glass of cheer over the holidays is a tradition for many Canadians. But drinking or serving too much can lead to health and other problems.

Background

Alcohol is a drug, a depressant that slows down your body's central nervous system. Depending on how much you drink, alcohol affects your concentration, speech, balance, vision, coordination and judgement. During the stress of the holiday season, the effects of alcohol can be heightened.

How much alcohol you can drink before feeling the effects depends on many factors:

• How much you usually drink
• How quickly you drink
• Your mood
• Your body size
• The amount you have eaten
• Your past experiences with drinking.
• Your sex

Canada's Drug Strategy considers moderate alcohol consumption for most adults to be no more than one drink a day and no more than seven drinks a week. Having more than four drinks on any one occasion or more than 14 drinks in a week is considered a risk to health and safety.

Short Term Effects of Too Much