Public opinion on the health benefits of moderate drinking: results from aCanadian National Population Health Survey

Aims. To explore beliefs about the health benefits of drinking alcohol in t he Canadian population. Design. Secondary analysis of data from a national population health survey. Participants. Canadians age 12 or older (weighted n = 72 375) in all provinces but Alberta excluding those living in remote regions, native reserves and armed forces bases. Measures. Responses to que stions concerning the definition of moderate drinking and the belief that m oderate drinking can be good for health. Self-reports of age, gender, provi nce of residence, quantity and frequency of drinking, health problems and i ndicators of alcohol dependence. Findings. Fifty-seven per cent of responde nts believed that moderate drinking has health benefits. Forty-seven per ce nt defined moderate drinking as drinking less than one drink a day and beli eved this to be good for health. Twelve per cent defined moderate drinking as one or more drinks a day and believed this is good for health. Belief in the health benefits of moderate drinking was more common among men, those age 45 or older, residents of Ontario and Quebec, more frequent drinkers an d those with ischaemic heart disease. Those who believed in the health bene fits of at least one drink a day were more often males, older persons and f requent, heavy drinkers. Conclusions. Belief in the health benefits of mode rate drinking is generally associated with a conservative definition of mod erate drinking. However, some drinkers at risk for alcohol problems may be influenced to drink by the belief that this can have health benefits or use this belief as an excuse for drinking.