Concerns about beer and wine at Ontario corner stores

Ontario's plan to allow beer, wine and cider to be sold in convenience and big-box stores is “Canada's most significant alcohol regulation policy in decades,” according to a national medical journal.

That finding is based on a new policy that will change the way alcohol is sold in the province, according to an article published April 8 in the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CAMJ). The Ford government previously said the policy changes would allow an additional 8,500 stores to sell alcoholic beverages.

“These changes will result in a 289 percent increase in the number of liquor stores in Ontario … (and) could lower alcohol prices and represent the biggest change in Canadian alcohol sales in decades,” the paper's authors write.

As early as 2026, beer, wine, cider, coolers, seltzers and “other low-alcohol ready-to-drink beverages” will be available at some big-box and convenience stores in Ontario, including those located at gas stations.

The province said those retailers must follow rules set by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario, which say retailers can sell alcohol between 7 a.m. and 11 p.m., regardless of hours of operation.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford holds beer cans as props in front of an ice cream display as press attends at a store in Toronto, Thursday, Dec. 14, 2023. The Ontario government has announced that they will allow their sale in 2026. beer, wine, cider, soft drinks and pre-mixed drinks, will be sold in convenience stores, grocery stores and “big box” retailers. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young

However, the peer-reviewed CAMJ article suggests that the changes will lead to higher alcohol consumption and related harms, including death, emergency department visits, hospitalizations, interpersonal violence and chronic illness.

Dr. Daniel Myran, co-author of the CAMJ article and an assistant professor at the University of Ottawa, estimates that alcohol is responsible for 6,200 deaths in 2020, along with 250,00 emergency room visits and 50,000 hospitalizations.

According to Mairan, the harm caused by alcohol to health is slightly more than 7 billion dollars.

“There's really, really strong and compelling evidence that the cheaper the alcohol, the more people drink it and the more harm it does.”

The concerns expressed in CAMJ echo those expressed in the Ontario Chief Medical Officer's annual report released earlier this month.

In the report, Dr. Kieran Moore recommended the province adopt a “comprehensive alcohol strategy to reduce alcohol-related harm.”

He also noted that if the number of alcohol retailers increases, the province should invest in enforcement of minimum age laws as well as product promotion, in addition to considering “other potential harm reduction measures such as fines.” and licensing fees, progressive enforcement including loss of license and imposing restrictions based on the distance/proximity of these outlets to places such as schools and kindergartens.

According to Moore, the expansion of alcohol sales in Ontario in 2015 was driven by a 17.8 per cent increase in alcohol-related emergency department visits.

The Ontario government said it will not investigate any of the recommendations in the Moore report.

“We believe in treating people like adults,” the premier said at a press conference in early April.

“You walk into a retail store, a big box store, and buy a bottle of wine with your steak and a six-pack of beer, like the rest of the world. We believe in this.”

Ontario Premier Doug Ford attends a press availability at a convenience store in Toronto, Thursday, Dec. 14, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young

The CAMJ report suggested that harms could be reduced by federal and provincial governments setting minimum alcohol prices and placing stronger warning levels on alcoholic beverages to increase “consumer awareness of alcohol-related harm.”

It also recommends that the federal government review and update regulations governing alcohol marketing in Canada.