Distillations blog archive

One thing that has bothered me for a long time about the cancer-alcohol link is the fact that many of us who are of a certain age began drinking in bars where people smoked. Even if you never smoked in your life, I mean, like you’re such a square that you didn’t even try a…

In November 2025 I spoke to a committee of the Canadian Senate that was contemplating Bill S-202, which would mandate warning labels on alcohol containers. I was on a panel that was supposed to be industry people, but I spoke as an independent citizen. I’m not going to revisit that fun experience here, but wanted…

Recent discussions about alcohol and risk often repeat the mantra that “the science has changed.” This is especially apparent in the difference between the 2011 Canadian low risk drinking guidelines and the 2023 “Low Risk Drinking Guidance” from the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction (CCSA). This is not an unreasonable thing to state,…

Recently there was a discussion on LinkedIn in response to a post I made about the language of alcohol use in harm reduction circles. It quickly spun madly off in all directions. One direction included an attempt to shame me, as someone who studies this stuff, for providing misinformation. I am not sure what I…

There is a lot of noise in the alcohol research field. There are competing interests, and everyone is looking at everyone else with suspicion. Alcohol researchers looking at each other saying “That study is weak”; looking at alcohol producers and saying that they’re just in it to make a buck so they can’t be trusted;…