New Canadian recommendations aim to make screening for alcohol misuse easier
published on May 4, 2026 in EurekAlert!
An update to Canadian guidance on screening for high-risk drinking and alcohol use provides streamlined recommendations in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal) that authors hope will make it easier for health care professionals to talk to patients about alcohol usehttps://www.cmaj.ca/lookup/doi/10.1503/cmaj.251759.
“Excessive alcohol use frequently underlies many reasons people see their doctor, such as poor sleep or anxiety, but this explanation routinely goes undetected in health care settings,” says Dr. Evan Wood, co-chair of the guideline writing committee and an addiction medicine specialist at the British Columbia Centre on Substance Use and the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC. “These updated recommendations aim to support clinicians with a practical approach to initiating conversations about alcohol use and identifying those with potential problems earlier so patients can receive factual advice and care when needed.”…
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