More Alcohol, More Harm: CPHA Urges Nova Scotia to Rethink Retail Expansion
The Canadian Public Health Association (CPHA) is sounding the alarm over the Nova Scotia government’s proposal to expand alcohol sales into convenience stores and other private retail outlets. The Association warns that increasing access to alcohol will have predictable and preventable consequences for public health and health system sustainability.
“This isn’t just about convenience—it’s about consequence,” said Ian Culbert, Executive Director of CPHA. “The evidence is unequivocal: when alcohol becomes easier to buy, more people drink, more people get sick, and more people die.”
Expanding the availability of alcohol has been consistently linked to increased consumption, higher rates of alcohol-related illness and injury, and mounting pressure on health and emergency services. Provinces that have moved toward retail liberalization have seen spikes in hospitalizations, emergency department visits, and deaths attributable to alcohol.
Nova Scotia already experiences more than 570 alcohol-related deaths and over 44,000 alcohol-related hospital and emergency room visits annually. Further expansion of retail access—particularly into high-traffic, minimally regulated outlets—would only exacerbate these harms, especially among youth and people who face structural disadvantage.
“Alcohol is not a benign substance. It’s a known carcinogen, a leading cause of liver disease and cardiovascular conditions, and a major contributor to mental illness, injuries, and interpersonal violence,” said Culbert. “We would never consider expanding access to any other product with this kind of risk profile.”
CPHA also notes the growing body of neurological evidence linking alcohol consumption—even at moderate levels—to lasting brain damage, cognitive decline, and increased risk of dementia.
“Alcohol poses a serious threat to brain health,” Culbert added. “We need to stop downplaying its long-term effects on memory, mental function, and neurological development.”
While the public may regard alcohol as a personal choice, the societal impacts are far-reaching. Alcohol use burdens families, workplaces, emergency rooms, and the criminal justice system. According to recent federal data, one in five Canadians who drink alcohol experience alcohol-related harm.
To protect health and prevent avoidable harm, CPHA urges the Nova Scotia government to:
- Maintain strong limits on alcohol outlet density
- Avoid expanding alcohol sales to convenience and corner stores
- Raise alcohol pricing through targeted taxation
- Restrict alcohol marketing and sponsorship
- Invest in alcohol-related harm reduction, prevention, and treatment programs
“Alcohol policy is health policy,” said Culbert. “If Nova Scotia wants to reduce health care costs, support safer communities, and promote population well-being, the answer isn’t more alcohol—it’s smarter regulation.”