Much like commercial tobacco and cannabis, alcohol is not a harmless consumer product. It is a regulated substance, with laws governing where it can be sold, who can buy it, how it can be advertised and where it can be consumed. Likewise, drinking and driving laws exist because even small amounts of alcohol can impair a person’s ability to drive, increasing the risk of injury and death.
by Dr. Lisa Simon, Medical Officer of Health and Chief Executive Officer
Much like commercial tobacco and cannabis, alcohol is not a harmless consumer product. It is a regulated substance, with laws governing where it can be sold, who can buy it, how it can be advertised and where it can be consumed. Likewise, drinking and driving laws exist because even small amounts of alcohol can impair a person’s ability to drive, increasing the risk of injury and death.
In recent years, alcohol availability in Ontario has grown considerably. The expansion in sales locations that began in grocery stores has since extended to convenience stores and highway service centres, alongside new bring‑your‑own rules. These shifts have implications for public health, community safety and long‑term costs.
What’s often missing from the conversation is how increased availability normalizes alcohol, especially among young people. Seeing alcohol openly stocked in gas stations and convenience stores suggests it is an ordinary, risk‑free product. Similarly, allowing open consumption in parks or at festivals under bring‑your‑own rules will often mean that drinking is more visible. As alcohol becomes more present in daily life, it becomes more accepted, influencing people’s decisions and dulling awareness of the risks.
The impacts of alcohol have long been visible in Simcoe Muskoka. Each year, alcohol use is responsible for approximately 7,665 emergency department visits, 840 hospitalizations and 275 deaths. That means one in every 20 deaths in the region is caused by alcohol. About half of these deaths are linked to cancer or heart disease, and alcohol also plays a major role in injuries, contributing to one in five deaths from intentional injuries to oneself or others and one in seven accidental deaths.
Research consistently shows that when alcohol becomes easier to access, overall consumption increases, along with related physical health, mental health, and social harms. These impacts are not limited to the individual and the family. Increased alcohol use also places added community pressure on policing, paramedic services, bylaw enforcement, park operations and liability risks, all of which are considerations for local governments.
Canada’s Guidance on Alcohol and Health states that health risks increase when people consume more than two drinks per week. At the same time, emerging evidence suggests that warning labels on alcohol products could help improve public awareness of alcohol’s links to cancer and chronic disease, supporting more informed decision-making.
With all health issues, we must ask if some community members face increased risk due to social factors outside their control, and what can be done to limit those health inequities. In this case, individuals living on lower incomes already experience disproportionately high rates of alcohol-related harm, and policies that increase availability or access can unintentionally widen these disparities.
The Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit continues to support municipalities by providing health data and guidance on bylaws and alcohol‑free spaces. Recently, the health unit shared updated data and considerations regarding the health impacts and financial costs associated with alcohol use in the region.
As alcohol availability increases and drinking becomes more common in public spaces, social norms, especially for young people and new users, are reshaped in ways that can place growing strain on individuals, families, communities, and the health- and social‑care systems. With Ontario’s alcohol landscape changing, policy decisions should be guided by evidence and a shared responsibility to protect public health and support safer, healthier communities.
For more information about alcohol and its effects on individuals and our communities, visit smdhu.org/alcohol.
Dr. Lisa Simon is the medical officer of health and chief executive officer at the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit. She provides public health medical leadership to protect and promote population health and oversees the strategic direction and operations of public health programs and services in the region.
