The topic is really much debated: according to a recent study published by the journal The Lancet Oncology, alcohol plays an important role in cancer risk. What's more: although more than 7,000 cases of cancer attributable to alcohol were recorded in Canada in 2020, only a quarter of Canadian drinkers are aware that this substance could affect oncological diseases. This is stated by the Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research of the University of Victoria, which highlights how alcohol, as well as tobacco, is classified by the International Center for Cancer Research in Group 1 of carcinogenic substances for humans.

Fawaad Iqbal, a radio-oncologist at the Durham Regional Cancer Center in Ontario, believes it is appropriate for alcoholic beverage labels to carry warnings about the risks of cancer associated with their consumption, in the same way as for cigarette packets. And following the publication of the study, the debate has heated up, and also at the institutional level we are considering the possibility of intervening with warnings on labeling.

To tell the truth, a measure in this sense had already been launched by the Canadian jurisdiction of the Yukon in 2017, on the labels of bottles and cans of wine, beer and spirits on the market. The warnings so that consumers did not put their health at risk were few and simple: no more than 10 drinks a week for women and no more than 15 for men; no more than three drinks on special occasions for women and no more than four drinks for men on any single occasion.

But a month after its launch, the Territory had to abandon the project due to strong opposition from the alcohol industry. Today we talk about it again ...