HESA Committee Report

As a result of their deliberations, committees may make recommendations which they include in their reports for the consideration of the House of Commons or the Government. Recommendations related to this study are listed below.

Restrictions on the Alcohol, Sugar and Caffeine Content in Highly Sweetened Pre-mixed Alcoholic Beverages

Recommendation 1

That Health Canada restrict the alcohol content in highly sweetened pre-mixed alcoholic beverages to that of one standard serving of alcohol in Canada, or 13.5 grams or 17.05 millilitres pure of alcohol through the Food and Drug Regulations.

Recommendation 2

That Health Canada set the sweetness threshold of highly sweetened pre‑mixed alcoholic beverages at 5% under the Food and Drug Regulations to restrict the place of sale of these products.

Recommendation 3

That Health Canada restrict the caffeine content of alcoholic beverages in Canada to 30 milligrams per standard serving of alcohol through the Food and Drug Regulations, which is in line with current voluntary standards set by the Canadian Association of Liquor Jurisdictions.

Labelling and Packaging

Recommendation 4

That Health Canada require through the Food and Drug Regulations that all alcoholic beverages for sale in Canada include on their labels, the number of standard servings of alcohol contained in the beverage.

Recommendation 5

That Health Canada require through the Food and Drug Regulations that all alcoholic beverages for sale in Canada clearly label the amount of sugar, calories and caffeine, as well as other stimulants contained in these beverages.

Recommendation 6

That Health Canada prohibit the labelling and packaging of alcoholic beverages in a manner that could be considered appealing to young persons through the Food and Drug Regulations.

Marketing and Branding

Recommendation 7

That the Government of Canada amend section 7 of the Food and Drugs Act to prohibit the advertising of alcoholic beverages in a manner that could be considered appealing to young persons.

Recommendation 8

That the Government of Canada consider directing the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission to review its Code for broadcast advertising of alcoholic beverages to determine whether or not it should also apply to new forms of digital media, including social media and the Internet.

Recommendation 9

That Health Canada prohibit producers from branding or naming alcoholic beverages in a manner that makes reference to their product strength, excessive consumption or makes light of alcohol dependence through the Food and Drug Regulations.

Recommendation 10

That Health Canada consider the potential issues surrounding  the use of a brand name of an authorized caffeinated energy drink by an alcoholic beverage company.

Recommendation 11

That Health Canada  look at the issues surrounding  the promotion activities of caffeinated energy drink manufacturers in Canada to determine whether they promote the mixing of these beverages and alcohol and report publicly on its findings.

Pricing and Taxation

Recommendation 12

That the Government of Canada either:

• a) set excise taxes for all alcoholic drinks at a fixed rate per standard serving indexed to inflation; or
• b) set excise tax rates for highly sweetened pre-mixed alcoholic beverages at the same rate as those for spirits.

Recommendation 13

That the Government of Canada in collaboration with provinces and territories set a national minimum price for a standard serving of alcohol, which is indexed to inflation.

Monitoring and Surveillance

Recommendation 14

That the Government of Canada provide sustained funding for the development of a national poison centre surveillance system to improve the monitoring of consumer products that could pose a risk to human health and safety.

National Alcohol Strategy

Recommendation 15

That Health Canada work in collaboration with the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse and Addiction, provincial and territorial governments, non-governmental organizations, industry, and Indigenous communities to update and renew the 2007 National Alcohol Strategy.