“Driving under the Influence” (DUI), is the term used in Canada since 1921, to describe the criminal offense of operating a motor vehicle, while the person’s ability is impaired by alcohol or drugs.” If your BAC registers .08 or you have a blood test result that exceeds .08, it is punishable under the Criminal Code in Manitoba. “Driving While Impaired” includes: Swerving, weaving; jerky, sudden movements, failure to follow traffic signs and signals, tail-gaiting, or mishandling of vehicle equipment. Women are more vulnerable to the effects of alcohol due to differences in metabolism.

New guidelines published by the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse (CCSA), has drastically reduced what is considered low-risk drinking on the number of drinks consumed each week, and the increased risk of alcohol related health issues: Previous guidelines indicated 10 drinks a week for women and 15 for men. The new proposed guidelines now indicate that more than 6 drinks a week for men and 3 for women, leads to increased risk of a host of health issues. The new proposed guidelines suggest that the health risks become “increasingly high” when someone has six or more drinks per week.

The holidays are a time of many social and family events, gatherings, and opportunities for many to celebrate with family and friends. When hosting an event or gathering, it is important to ensure that there are alternatives for those who do not choose to, or cannot drink alcohol beverages due to health reasons. There are some wonderful alternative recipes for mocktails, smoothies and protein shakes. As a potential host or guest, it is important that you are aware of a) New low risk drinking guidelines, b) Impaired Driving Laws.

SRWC is a unique, welcoming, recovery-oriented community that accompanies individuals, family and friends affected by substance abuse in their journey toward recovery. We offer co-end or gender specific groups, individual, couple, and family counseling programs, that offer support for individuals and their families. Our Access and Exploring Options program offer support for individuals, who are referred, or mandated due to their drug or alcohol abuse, or are awaiting a place in a Residential Program. Our gender specific Continuing Recovery, and Work Sober programs focuses on maintaining their recovery goals. Our Family education and support programs include 1-1 and couples counseling.

We are living in great change, where our planet is evolving at a heightened pace and needs our help. Each of our souls have chosen to be here at this time. We can choose how we put our love into action. December 21st the darkest day of the year, a wonderful opportunity to plant seeds for what we desire. A time to reflect on our own lives and make the necessary changes to support humanity and our planet in loving ways. When we open our hearts in love, share our skills, talents and kindness, we give to others, and we serve. When we stay calm and loving with our children and parents, we actively build community full of love and gratitude.

We are living in great change, where our planet is evolving at a heightened pace and needs our help. Each of our souls have chosen to be here at this time. We can choose how we put our love into action. December 21st the darkest day of the year, a wonderful opportunity to plant seeds for what we desire. A time to reflect on our own lives and make the necessary changes to support humanity and our planet in loving ways. When we open our hearts in love, share our skills, talents and kindness, we give to others, and we serve. When we stay calm and loving with our children and parents, we actively build community full of love and gratitude.

Women compared with men, experience significantly short intervals between the first use of alcohol, and the onset of significant alcohol-related problems. Women on average, experience problems within five to seven years of use, whereas men usually experience alcohol-related problems after ten to twelve years of heavy use. This accelerated course is known as “telescoping.” Health consequences of excessive drinking include: increased risk of cancers, liver damage, and heart disease, to name a few. PREVENTION: Catherine Paradis, senior researcher, and policy analysist, at CCSA and Co-Chair of Canada’s Low Risk Alcohol Drinking Guidelines, recommends that using safe amounts of alcohol, can assist in avoiding health related risks as well as hi-risk activities, such as driving while over the limit, taking over-the-counter and prescription medications that interact with alcohol, or drinking and participating in activities which require skill, coordination, and alertness. However, this is keeping in mind that there is no safe amount for women with a history of breast cancer.

Women are more vulnerable to alcohols adverse consequences and alcohol has a profound impact on women’s health compared to men. Although, alcohol’s link to breast cancer is the most well known and documented in the research literature, the consequences to our overall health, including heart and liver disease is extremely high for women, of every age, who have three or more drinks per week. Women’s bodies contain proportionately less water and more fat than a man’s. Water dilutes alcohol and fat retains it, so organs are exposed to higher concentrations of alcohol for longer periods of time. At any given dose, our blood alcohol levels will be higher than a man’s, even taking into account differences in body weight. As a result one drink for a woman is roughly equivalent to two drinks for a man. As women age their bodies contain even less water and more fat, so blood alcohol levels rise even faster. Also, women absorb and metabolize alcohol differently than men. This difference is due to variations in the amount of the enzyme responsible for metabolizing alcohol. Women have less of this enzyme in their stomach, small intestine and liver. As 30% of alcohol goes through the stomach directly into the blood stream this means that the alcohol goes through the bloodstream to all cells of the body less diluted and in higher concentrations.

DID YOU KNOW: The National Advisory Group has published new guidelines on the number of drinks consumed each week, and the increased risk of alcohol related health issues. The International Agency for Research for decades have classified Alcohol as a #1 preventable Carcinogenic to humans, behind Tobacco and Asbestos– especially for women! Alcohol use in Canada causes nearly $7,000 cases of cancer deaths each year in Canada. The Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse (CCSA), who advises the Canadian government on alcohol consumption, has drastically reduced what is considered low-risk drinking. Previous guidelines indicated 10 drinks a week for women and 15 for men. The new proposed guidelines now indicate that more than 6 drinks per week leads to increased risk of a host of health issues. The new proposed guidelines suggest that the health risks become “increasingly high” when someone has six or more drinks per week.