New restrictions on sugary, purified alcoholic beverages took effect today after several months of government consultation and two deaths in 18 months.
The alcohol content in single serve flavoured purified alcoholic beverages cannot exceed 25.6 ml for each container of one litre or less.
That amount is equivalent to about one and a half drinks, whereas before the restrictions, a single serving could contain the equivalent of four alcoholic drinks.
These tighter restrictions come after the 2018 death of a Quebec teenager, Athena Gervais.
Gervais, age 14, consumed several sugary alcoholic drinks and drowned in a creek on Feb. 26, 2018.
According to a coroner’s report, she consumed three cans of FCKD UP, which is equal to about 12 glasses of wine, all in just half an hour. Her body was found days later.
In the weeks following her death, Montreal-area Groupe Geloso stopped producing FCKD UP and destroyed its inventories while allowing stores to liquidate their stock.
Phusion Projects, the U.S. competitor, also stopped distribution of a similar drink called Four Loko.
Health Minister Ginette Petitpas Taylor said in a statement today that the rules are effective immediately and there will be no transition period.
According to Health Canada, before the regulations came into force, an adult weighing 82 kgs would have found themselves over the legal limit for impaired driving by consuming one of the beverages in one hour.
If a youth weighing 45 kgs consumed a single-serve flavoured purified alcoholic beverage, they could become severely intoxicated. If they consumed two of these beverages, they could be hospitalized with a risk of death.
Under the rules, a 568-ml drink would be capped at 4.5% alcohol. A 355-ml can could contain up to 7.2% alcohol while a 473-ml container could have up to 5.4%.
Health Canada said an exemption would be made for beverages packaged in glass containers with a 750-ml volume or higher, since those drinks are typically intended for multiple servings.
-With files from The Canadian Press.
