Alcohol consumption more damaging than tobacco use?
A pair of studies say the federal and provincial governments must do more to reduce alcohol consumption after determining damages from drinking have surpassed tobacco use.
An initiative called the Canadian Alcohol Policy Evaluation project graded the federal, provincial and territorial governments on policy efforts to reduce alcohol-related harm and gave the federal government a failing grade.
Ontario scored the highest grade with a ``C'' grade, althought the studies author Tim Stockwell says it has gone backwards after Premier Doug Ford brought in ``buck-a-beer'' legislation.
Stockwell, a director at the University of Victoria's Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research, says the Canadian government earned a 38 per cent grade.
Researchers looked at different types of alcohol policy including availability, pricing, taxation and health and safety messaging.
Stockwell says Manitoba has an excellent minimum pricing strategy, while B-C and some other provinces have strong laws to deter impaired driving.
But he says every province falls down significantly in some areas even though they perform well in others.