The Big Story Is Canada missing the mark on alcohol awareness?
Mar 13, 2026
Dr. Iris Gorfinkel, a Toronto family physician and public health researcher, explains why alcohol ranks as Canada’s most harmful substance. She discusses how harms were measured, links between alcohol and social costs like violence and court strain, confusion around drinking guidelines, and policy choices such as availability and warning labels. Short, urgent, and policy-focused conversation.
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Alcohol Is Canada's Most Harmful Substance
- Alcohol caused the greatest overall population harm in Canada, scoring 79 out of 100 on a multi-domain harm scale.
- Its high score stems from widespread use and impacts across health, family, workplace, economy, and environment rather than acute per-use lethality.
Widespread Use Explains Alcohol's High Harm Score
- Alcohol scores higher than tobacco and opioids on societal harms because it is widely used and affects many health conditions.
- Alcohol is also classed as a leading carcinogen and increases risks like cardiovascular disease, obesity, depression and missed work.
Alcohol's Costs Extend Far Beyond Healthcare Bills
- Alcohol causes wide-ranging societal costs beyond direct medical bills, including family breakdown, court delays, lost work and broader economic burdens.
- Many harms are hard to quantify, but on a population basis alcohol's societal burden far exceeds tobacco or opioids.