Quebecers’ relationship with alcohol has changed for the better, according to an Éduc’alcool report – celebrating its 35th anniversary.
Since 1989, the independent organization has worked to inform and raise awareness among the Quebec population about the impacts of alcohol consumption.
Thirty-five years later, major advances have been made in terms of drinking and driving they say, but also the relationship that Quebecers have with alcohol has changed.
According to Éduc’alcool, 60 per cent of the population has a moderate relationship with alcohol.
“There is still a way to go, of course, but if we compare with before, it’s better,” said Éduc’alcool General Director Geneviève Desautels in an interview.
However, she emphasized that 30 per cent of the population still drinks in a risky manner.
“We must continue to raise awareness in the right way so that they can make informed choices,” said Desautels.
Éduc’alcool claims there have been big changes in moderation over the years.
Desautels noted that previous advertisements used to illustrate alcohol consumption and even overconsumption.
“The famous image of the beer between the two legs while driving, for example, was not at all reprehensible behavior. Morals have changed a lot and it is well established these days that when you drink, you do not drive. It is normal to have a designated driver, especially for young people who have zero tolerance on their driver’s licences.”
She says that scientists disagree whether or not alcohol is harmful from the first sip compared to low-risk amounts.
“That’s why at Éduc’alcool, we say: beyond the quantities, what is more important is why you drink,” said the director.
The non-profit explained how tasting a local product, celebrating, or enhancing an experience are positive habits, unlike drinking to get through a party or to forget.
“We are talking about getting the Quebec population to make informed choices in terms of responsible consumption and we are not in the prescription of quantity, but much more in the reflection of their relationship with alcohol,” said Desautels.
The Éduc’alcool report states that 10 per cent of the population does not drink at all.
“We have seen it more in recent years, but there is a non-stigmatization of people who choose not to consume alcohol. People want to have a drink in their hand because it is socially interesting, but it doesn’t need to have alcohol in it, and we question less and less what they’re drinking,” explained Desautels.
One of Éduc’alcool’s challenges for the coming years is to destigmatize consumption.
According to the organization, 25 per cent of people lie to their doctors about their consumption because they are embarrassed about drinking “too much” or because they have no idea.
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–This report by La Presse Canadienne was translated by CityNews