Quebec man who threatened Trudeau, Legault online sentenced to 20 months in jail
A Quebec man who pleaded guilty to threatening Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Premier François Legault has been sentenced to 20 months in jail.
Politicians in charge of provincial and territorial liquor laws aren't hurrying to adopt or promote newly updated guidelines that advise a steep drop in Canadian drinking habits.
Across Canada, the responsible ministers declined interview requests from The Canadian Press. In written responses, they didn't commit to changing marketing methods for alcohol and noted they're awaiting Ottawa's lead on whether to slap warning labels on products.
In some cases, such as Nunavut and British Columbia, governments say they're actively reviewing the guidelines. Two provinces -- New Brunswick and Nova Scotia -- as well as the Northwest Territories said their health departments are developing plans to incorporate the new advice. The Northwest Territories Health Department said it intends to "share the new guidelines broadly."
The guidance prepared by the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction for Health Canada and released on Jan. 17 represents a major shift from its 2011 advice that having two drinks a day was considered low risk. The updated report says there is a moderate risk of harm for those who consume between three and six standard drinks a week, and it increases for every additional drink.
Kevin Shield, a professor at University of Toronto's school of public health, notes about two-thirds of Canadians who drink are consuming in the guideline's riskier ranges, according to the most recent Statistics Canada survey.
Shield -- who studies methods used by governments to reduce harms caused by alcohol -- said in an interview Wednesday that liquor agencies aren't currently giving consumers a good sense of the long-term health risks of alcohol. The typical messages, he said, are: "Don't drink and drive, don't drink while pregnant and please enjoy responsibly," with only the Northwest Territories including labels warning of health impacts.
Some governments have been loosening marketing restrictions. For example, in its 2019 budget, Ontario's Progressive Conservatives called for earlier serving hours for bars and restaurants, alcohol in municipal parks and advertising of free alcohol by casinos.
The province's Finance Department said in an emailed response it's "aware" of the CCSA update but didn't comment on whether the province's liquor corporation, the LCBO, will alter its policies. The LCBO website contains a link to the updated guidelines, but finding it requires surfing through three other topics before reaching a link written in small type at the bottom of a page.
Tim Stockwell, the former head of the Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research at the University of Victoria, said the reality is the issue isn't a political priority.
"They're thinking about the economy, and tourism and the vitality of nightlife in their cities. The last thing on policymakers' minds is whether this commodity we're so familiar with is doing any harm," he said in an interview Tuesday.
The liquor corporations continue to be key sources of revenue to their provinces, with the B.C. agency providing close to $1.2 billion in the last fiscal year, Ontario's LCBO providing about $2.4 billion and Quebec's SAQ reporting a $1.35-billion profit.
A spokesman for Quebec's finance minister said the province isn't considering any changes to the provincial liquor corporation's current practices. "We trust citizens to make the best decisions for their health, in light of the latest knowledge on the subject," spokeswoman Claudia Loupret said.
In Nova Scotia, Finance Minister Allan MacMaster said liquor education materials "do not yet" reflect the new guidance. Beverley Ware, a spokeswoman for the province's liquor corporation, said the Department of Health "plans to develop materials to inform Nova Scotians of the new guidance on alcohol and health," and the liquor retailer is in favour of sharing this information with its customers.
A spokesman for New Brunswick's Health Department said it supports the updated guidelines and is working on a communication plan to help New Brunswickers understand them.
Siobhan Coady, the finance minister in Newfoundland and Labrador, provided an email saying her officials are "always mindful of new research," noting the province was already examining whether to introduce policies that limit liquor consumption -- including raising the minimum price for drinks sold in bars.
Manitoba's government didn't comment on how it will incorporate the guidelines into its liquor marketing, but noted its liquor corporation has a "DrinkSense" website that encourages responsible consumption.
Meanwhile, none of the provinces reached by The Canadian Press indicated they are considering directly implementing the call for health warning labels, though the Northwest Territories does already have a label mentioning the risk to pregnant women and drivers, and noting alcohol "may cause health problems."
Nunavut's Finance Department said in an email it is reviewing its alcohol regulations, including possible warning label requirements, and will "note the findings" of the CCSA in its review.
David Morris, a spokesman for the Saskatchewan liquor authority, said the province's retail liquor system will be fully private later this year and there are no plans to change the way private retailers in the province sell or market alcoholic beverages.
A spokesperson for British Columbia's Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions said the province will be reviewing the CCSA guidelines and "have more to say in the weeks ahead."
Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Nova Scotia and Yukon said it's up to Ottawa to take the lead on creating warning labels that discuss the risks of cancer, heart disease and stroke. Carolyn Bennett, the federal minister of mental health and addictions, was unavailable for an interview, and her office said she's reviewing the CCSA's advice.
Dan Malleck, a professor of health sciences at Brock University who has been critical of the CCSA guidelines, said the provinces are right to be reluctant about adopting the updated guidelines. "I think any reasonable government should ignore the guidelines completely," he said in an email. "It's poor research, ideologically driven, and based upon spurious connections with health harms."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 27, 2023
----
With files from Allison Jones, Steve Lambert, Terri Theodore, Kelly Malone, Colette Derworiz, Hina Alam, Sidhartha Banerjee and Emily Blake
A Quebec man who pleaded guilty to threatening Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Premier François Legault has been sentenced to 20 months in jail.
Pius Suter scored with 1:39 left and the Vancouver Canucks advanced to the second round of the NHL playoffs with a 1-0 victory over the Nashville Predators on Friday night in Game 6.
The adorable trio of child actors from the 1993 classic comedy 'Mrs. Doubtfire,' which starred the late and great Robin Williams, are all grown up and looking back on their seminal time together.
Crucial witnesses took the stand in the second week of testimony in Donald Trump's hush money trial, including a California lawyer who negotiated deals at the center of the case and a longtime adviser to the former president.
A source close to singer Britney Spears tells CNN that the pop star is 'home and safe' after she had a 'major fight' with her boyfriend on Wednesday night at the Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood.
A Chinese truck driver was praised in local media Saturday for parking his vehicle across a highway and preventing more cars from tumbling down a slope after a section of the road in the country's mountainous south collapsed and killed at least 48 people.
The Ukrainian village of Ocheretyne has been battered by fighting, drone footage obtained by The Associated Press shows. The village has been a target for Russian forces in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine.
Three people have been arrested and charged in the killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar – as authorities continue investigating potential connections to the Indian government.
As Wegovy becomes available to Canadians starting Monday, a medical expert is cautioning patients wanting to use the drug to lose weight that no medication is a ''magic bullet,' and the new medication is meant particularly for people who meet certain criteria related to obesity and weight.
Alberta Ballet's double-bill production of 'Der Wolf' and 'The Rite of Spring' marks not only its final show of the season, but the last production for twin sisters Alexandra and Jennifer Gibson.
A British Columbia mayor has been censured by city council – stripping him of his travel and lobbying budgets and removing him from city committees – for allegedly distributing a book that questions the history of Indigenous residential schools in Canada.
Three men in Quebec from the same family have fathered more than 600 children.
A group of SaskPower workers recently received special recognition at the legislature – for their efforts in repairing one of Saskatchewan's largest power plants after it was knocked offline for months following a serious flood last summer.
A police officer on Montreal's South Shore anonymously donated a kidney that wound up drastically changing the life of a schoolteacher living on dialysis.
Since 1932, Montreal's Henri Henri has been filled to the brim with every possible kind of hat, from newsboy caps to feathered fedoras.
Police in Oak Bay, B.C., had to close a stretch of road Sunday to help an elephant seal named Emerson get safely back into the water.
Out of more than 9,000 entries from over 2,000 breweries in 50 countries, a handful of B.C. brews landed on the podium at the World Beer Cup this week.
Raneem, 10, lives with a neurological condition and liver disease and needs Cholbam, a medication, for a longer and healthier life.