Canadian Alcohol Policy Evaluation (CAPE)
Completed in 2019, CISUR and CAMH led the Canadian Alcohol Policy Evaluation (CAPE) Project, a national evaluation of alcohol policies across all provinces and territories in Canada; an evaluation of federal government policies was also completed. Developed to inform evidence-based policies in Canada to reduce and prevent alcohol-related harms, this project updated a previous evaluation report (and summaries) of Canadian provinces released in 2013. The results of the 2019 CAPE research were made available in a report on the federal evaluation (in English and French) as well as a report on the provincial and territorial evaluation (in English & French). Tailored, jurisdiction-specific summaries were also produced, as well as an overall project infographic. In addition to disseminating the results in several pre-release and report-launch webinars, the CAPE team also presented jurisdiction-specific findings at over 25 invited webinar sessions with a range of policy-stakeholder groups across the country. An overview of 2019 CAPE results as well as a comparison of privatisation of provincial liquor outlets between 2012 and 2017 have been published in the journal Drug and Alcohol Review. Planning is underway to initiate the next round of the CAPE Project in 2022.
Read our recent paper in Drug and Alcohol Review.
View our interactive policy mapping tool.
2019 Provincial and Territorial CAPE Reports and Summaries
2019 Federal CAPE Report
Presentations and infographics
- Infographic -Strategies to Reduce Alcohol-Related Harms and Costs in Canada:A Review of Provincial, Territorial, and Federal Policies
- Presentation - Strategies to Reduce Alcohol-Related Harms and Costs in Canada: A Review of Provincial, Territorial, and Federal Policies (Feb 2019)
- Presentation - Stratégies pour réduire les méfaits et les coûts liés à l’alcool au Canada : Une revue des politiques fédérales, provinciales et territoriales (Fev 2019)
Journal articles
- The Canadian Alcohol Policy Evaluation project: Findings from a review of provincial and territorial alcohol policies (Vallance et al., 2021, Drug and Alcohol Review)
- Alcohol retail privatisation in Canadian provinces between 2012 and 2017. Is decision making oriented to harm reduction? (Giesbrecht et al., 2020, Drug and Alcohol Review)
- Light and heavy drinking in jurisdictions with different alcohol policy environments (Foster et al., 2019, International Journal of Drug Policy)
- Comparing Alcohol Marketing and Alcohol Warning Message Policies Across Canada (Wettlaufer et al., 2017, Substance Use and Misuse)
- Strategies to reduce alcohol-related harms and costs in Canada: A comparison of provincial policies (Giesbrecht et al., 2016, The International Journal of Alcohol and Drug Research)
- Pricing of alcohol in Canada: A comparison of provincial policies and harm-reduction opportunities (Giesbrecht et al., 2016, Drug and Alcohol Review)
- A Comparison of Measures and Policies to Prevent Alcohol Problems among Youth across Canadian Provinces (Simpson et al., 2014, Canadian Public Policy)
Webinars
2013 Provincial CAPE Reports
- Executive summary
- Full report
- By province:
Related news stories and media releases
Media releases
- The good, the bad and the ugly: New report cards on policies to reduce alcohol harms in Canada's 10 provinces and 3 territories (CISUR announcement, April 2019)
- Ontario Alcohol Policy Report Card (CAMH media release, April 2019)
- Canadian alcohol policy gets failing grade (UVic media release, February 2019)
- Sobriety Test: CAMH Report Rates Provinces on Alcohol Policies (CAMH media release, March 2013)
2019 media
- Study finds B.C.’s regulation of alcohol is second-best in the country but still far from great (Black Press, April 2019)
- Daphne Bramham: Alcohol, not opioids, is Canada's biggest drug problem (Vancouver Sun/PostMedia, APril 2019)
- BC alcohol policy report card (Tim Stockwell on CBC Vancouver's Early Edition; segment starts at 2:41:45)
- Politiques sur l’alcool: la C.-B. et le Yukon sont derniers de classe (Radio-Canada, April 2019)
- Early Edition: Tim Stockwell on BC's CAPE report card (starts at 2:41:45) (CBC Vancouver, April 2019)
- Atlantic provinces failing to address alcohol problems: national study (Truro News, April 2019)
- Ontario's proposed alcohol policies will increase harms, researchers say (CBC News/Canadian Press, April 2019)
- B.C. gets near failing grade on implementing policies to reduce impacts of alcohol use, study says (CHEK News, April 2019)
- B.C. is second-best – though still bad – at regulating alcohol: study (CTV News, April 2019)
- Canadian governments must step up efforts to reduce alcohol-related harms, health studies find (Globe and Mail, Feb 2019)
- Alcohol policies fizzle for Canadian governments as harms overflow: reports (National Post, Feb 2019)
- Canadian alcohol policy gets failing grade from UVic researchers (Vic News, Feb 2019)
- Abundance of booze costing B.C. money and lives, researcher says (Vancouver Star, Feb 2019)
- Do more to combat alcohol’s harm: reports (Times Colonist, Feb 2019)
- Mixed results for Saskatchewan in Canadian Alcohol Policy Evaluation Reports (Prince Albert Daily Herald, Feb 2019)
- Territories get failing grades on curbing alcohol harms: study (CBC North, Feb 2019)
2013-2018 media
- Quebec's legal drinking age isn't going to change, Legault says (CBC News, December 2018)
- Mandatory drunk driving tests hit the road before the holidays (CTV News, December 2018)
- Hamilton addictions expert concerned about fallout from expanded beer and wine sales (HamiltonNews.com, July 2018)
- Costs of liquor outweigh its revenues in B.C., study says (Times Colonist, August 2013)
- Alcohol one of Canada’s top health threats: Study (Toronto Star, March 2013)
Related alcohol policy evaluation publications
- Burton, R. et al. (2017) rapid evidence review of the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of alcohol control policies: an English perspective. The Lancet.
- Nelson, T. et al. (2013). Efficacy and the Strength of Evidence of U.S. Alcohol Control Policies. American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
- Babor, T. et al. (2010). Alcohol: No ordinary commodity – research and public policy – Revised edition. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Other resources
Additional project resources
Alcohol strategy documents
- Recommendations for a National Alcohol Strategy, 2007, CCSA
- Alberta Alcohol Strategy (Summary), 2010, AGLC, AHS, AH
- Manitoba’s Strategy to Reduce Alcohol-Related Harms, 2015, HSAL
- An Alcohol Strategy to Prevent and Reduce the Burden of Alcohol-Related Harm in Nova Scotia, 2007, DHW
- Taking Steps to Reduce Alcohol-Related Harms in Nunavut, 2016, GN
Information on municipal alcohol policies
About the 2019 Provincial and Territorial CAPE Project
The Provincial and Territorial Canadian Alcohol Policy Evaluation Project is a rigorous assessment of the extent to which evidence-based alcohol policies have been implemented in all 13 jurisdictions in Canada. The study design is based on a similar model conceived of and implemented by MADD Canada assessing the progress of policy measures to reduce impaired driving (see 2015 Provincial Impaired Driving Report). The types of alcohol policies being evaluated at the provincial and territorial level include those with direct evidence of direct effectiveness as a means of reducing population level consumption of alcohol and/or related harms such as: pricing and taxation; physical availability of alcohol; impaired driving countermeasures; marketing and advertising controls; minimum legal drinking age laws; screening, brief intervention and referral programs; and liquor law enforcement. We also assess evidence-based strategies that more indirectly facilitate implementation of the direct policies mentioned above. These strategies include: control systems for the distribution and sale of alcohol; provincial and territorial alcohol strategies; monitoring and reporting of alcohol related harms; and health and safety messaging. A report card will be available for each jurisdiction and comparisons made with a previous national exercise completed in 2013, which was also based on the MADD Canada design.
About the 2019 Federal CAPE Project
The Federal Canadian Alcohol Policy Evaluation Project is a rigorous assessment of the extent to which evidence-based alcohol policies have been implemented by the federal government in Canada. The study design is based on a similar model conceived of and implemented by MADD Canada assessing the progress of policy measures to reduce impaired driving (see 2015 Provincial Impaired Driving Report). The types of alcohol policies being evaluated at the provincial and territorial level include those with direct evidence of direct effectiveness as a means of reducing population level consumption of alcohol and/or related harms such as: pricing and taxation; physical availability of alcohol; impaired driving countermeasures; marketing and advertising controls; minimum legal drinking age laws; and screening, brief intervention and referral programs. We also assess evidence-based strategies that more indirectly facilitate implementation of the direct policies mentioned above. These strategies include: control systems for the distribution and sale of alcohol; a national alcohol strategy; monitoring and reporting of alcohol related harms; and health and safety messaging. A report card will be available for the federal government.
About the 2013 Provincial CAPE Project
The 2013 alcohol policy evaluation report provided an initial systematic and comparative review of policies and programs across all Canadian provinces which have the potential to reduce the considerable health and social harms from alcohol. The overall objective was to encourage greater uptake of these practices and thereby improve public health and safety in Canada. The study design was based on a similar model conceived and implemented by MADD Canada assessing the progress of policy measures to reduce impaired driving (see 2015 Provincial Impaired Driving Report)
Funding bodies
- 2019 Provincial and Territorial CAPE Project: Health Canada, Substance Use and Addictions Program
- 2019 Federal CAPE Project: Public Health Agency of Canada
- 2013 Provincial CAPE Project: Canadian Institutes of Health Research
Researchers
- Dr. Tim Stockwell ((PI) Director, Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research, University of Victoria)
- Norman Geisbrecht ((Co-PI), Emeritus Scientist, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON )
- Ashley Wettlaufer (Research Coordinator, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON )
- Kate Vallance ( Research Associate, Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research, Victoria, BC)
- Clifton Chow (Research Affiliate, Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research, Victoria, BC)
- Nicole April (Medical Consultant, Institut national de santé publique du Québec, Québec City, QC )
- Mark Asbridge (Associate Professor, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS )
- Dr. Russell Callaghan (Scientist, Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research, Victoria; Professor, University of Northern British Columbia, Prince George, BC)
- Samantha Cukier (Post-Doctoral Research Fellow, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH )
- Geoff Hynes (Manager, Canadian Institute for Health Information, Ottawa, ON)
- Robert Mann (Senior Scientist, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON )
- Dr. Kara Thompson (Assistant Professor, St. Francis Xavier University, Antigonish, NS)
- Robert Solomon (rofessor Emeritus, Western University, London, ON)
- Robert Strang ((Knowledge User) Chief Medical Officer of Health for Nova Scotia )
- Dr. Gerald Thomas ((Knowledge User) Collaborating Scientist, Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research; Director, BC Ministry of Health, Victoria, BC )
- Andrew Murie ((Knowledge User) Chief Executive Officer of MADD Canada)