Many doctors are on board with new guidelines urging them to ask patients about alcohol use, but they also note that some people lose track of how much they drink, others lie and many don't know what constitutes a single serving.
Family physician Ginette Poulin, who specialized in addiction medicine in Manitoba and Ontario, says it's important for primary care providers to normalize these conversations.
She says early detection of high-risk drinking is key to preventing serious health problems.
Poulin is one of the authors of a clinical guideline document published last week in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, and she notes routine screening for alcohol would be the same as for diabetes and high blood pressure.
Poulin says some patients feel shame about disclosing the reality of their alcohol use, but others simply may not realize how much they consume.
Lindsay Sutherland Boal of Toronto says talking about her heavy drinking helped her quit alcohol over three years ago and start an online support group where women can be open about their struggles with booze.