Renfrew County residents may be consuming more alcohol than the rest of the Province.
Public Nurse, Erin Robertson and Health Promoter Ashley Fantauzzi of Renfrew County and District Health Unit say that the County reported higher rates of chronic diseases and injuries due to drinking more than the recommended amount stated in the Low-Risk Alcohol Drinking Guidelines. They say that the survey, collected by the Canadian Community Health Survey, also showed that the rate was higher than the rest of the Province.
They add this was reported by Public Health Ontario and say that the Low-Risk Alcohol Drinking Guidelines states the recommended dose of alcohol for adults aged in the 25-65 bracket. They say that a standard drink is one that contains 12 ounces of beer or cider that has 5% of alcohol. As for wine, a standard drink means a 5 ounce glass with 12% of alcohol in it. When it comes to distilled alcohol, they say that a standard drink corresponds to one of 1.5 ounces with a 40% dose of alcoholic content. Robertson and Fantauzzi mentioned that the guidelines also states that women should not exceed 10 drinks a week (and 2 drinks a day) and that men should not exceed 15 drinks a week (3 drinks a day).
They say that exceeding those limits will increase your chances of running into various health issues like high blood pressure and many types of cancers (mouth, pharynx, larynx, liver, breast and colon). You can find more information on this and the Rethink Your Drinking Campaign, on their website by clicking here.
To consult the Low-Risk Alcohol Drinking Guidelines, click here.