Moved second reading of Bill S-202, An Act to amend the Food and Drugs Act (warning label on alcoholic beverages).

He said: Honourable senators, as our former colleague — former Senator Baker, for those of you who know him — used to say, “I will be brief,” but I actually will be.

We have before us Bill S-202, which is to provide cancer warning labels on alcoholic products. We know that the data and the science have been out there for quite some time. Alcohol consumption causes seven known fatal cancers, including colon cancer when we think about men and breast cancer when we think about women.

This bill in its previous iteration was Bill S-254. Especially for our new colleagues and perhaps as a refresher for those who have been here, Bill S-254 — now Bill S-202 before us — was before committee. Just before Christmas, there was agreement that Bill S-254 would be studied in February by the Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology. Unfortunately, however, Parliament was prorogued and, like many other bills and issues, this bill died on the Order Paper, which is why we have to reintroduce it.

I had hoped the bill could go directly to committee because there was agreement to study it there and it was there. I approached all the party leaders, but unfortunately there was not an agreement to send it directly to committee. However, it is my hope that it will be there very soon, because the data is there.

I will provide some additional remarks. I refer you to my June 1, 2023, speech at second reading on Bill S-254, which 100% applies to Bill S-202 before us today. I invite you to look at that.

Even though Parliament was prorogued, my office hosted an online symposium on World Cancer Day. That brought all the Canadian experts and some international experts to the fora to talk about cancer, alcohol and labelling.

At that symposium, we had, for example, Dr. Erin Hobin, Dr. Catherine Paradis, Dr. Robert Cushman and Sheila Gilheany, who is from Ireland. Ireland is supposed to have cancer warning labels on its alcoholic products starting next year, but there is pressure from the alcohol lobby; they are trying their best to prevent cancer warning labels from hitting the shelves. We also had Kathy Unsworth, Dr. Nancy Poole, Dr. Adam Sherk, Dr. Tim Naimi, Dr. Tim Stockwell and Dr. Fawaad Iqbal who joined and were presenters during this symposium.

To make a long story short, this is definitely long overdue — 80% of Canadians consume alcohol but only approximately 25% are aware of the correlation between alcohol consumption and seven fatal cancers.

As a former alcohol consumer, I was once in the 75% of Canadians who are not aware that there is a causal link between alcohol consumption and seven cancers. I personally battled colon cancer several years ago, so much so that when I received treatment, I felt I was being killed inside. I decided to quit treatment — that it was over and done. Then in 2020, I decided to get sober, and I celebrated my fifth year of sobriety while we were prorogued, on March 29, 2025.

That’s why I take personal pride in introducing this bill and the next one, which I will speak on soon — again, very briefly. But it is not about my personal pride or what I or anybody else went through. This is about providing vital, necessary health information to all Canadians, just as we did with tobacco.

We know that tobacco products need cancer warning labels. We know that cannabis products need cancer warning labels — and cannabis companies were not even asked by the Government of Canada to put the labels on their products. They willingly did so.

This bill is strictly about cancer warnings. With everything that we know, the question that needs to be answered — and I still have not received an answer from anybody — is this: If we know that alcohol consumption causes seven fatal cancers, why do alcohol companies get a free pass in Canada? Thank you.

Absolutely.

Senator Brazeau, do you think the average Canadian is aware of the cancers caused by alcohol? As a non-drinker, I certainly was not. Do you think the average Canadian knows that information is out there?

Thank you very much for the question, and good for you for not drinking alcohol. That should be celebrated a little more than the other way around is. To answer your question, like I said, 80% of Canadians consume alcohol in this country but only approximately 25% — a quarter — are aware that there is a correlation between alcohol consumption and cancer. Providing labels gives all alcohol consumers and every Canadian citizen access to the health information they need.

Alcohol companies are doing exactly the same thing tobacco companies did. I am not reinventing the wheel here. They are using the same arguments that tobacco companies have. This is why it takes 20 to 25 years to pass pieces of legislation like this. I first introduced this in 2023, and here we are. We are not done yet.

Here is a perfect example: the Kirby report on mental health that the Senate produced. The Senate is known for that report. Here is an example where we can show leadership in this country, because elected politicians don’t want to touch this with a 10-foot pole. We know why they don’t want to touch this — because the alcohol companies and the lobby are very, very powerful. But we could take leadership and send a message that we care about the health and well-being of Canadian citizens.

The best way to provide this information is through labelling, despite anything the alcohol companies and lobbyists have to say. Whenever they have anything to say — and whenever they come up with their own paid and sponsored health reports — I say don’t listen to them. Their only interest is one thing: sales. They don’t give a rat’s you-know-what about Canadian people’s health and well-being.

Here is our opportunity to show Canada we care. We can send a message and move the yardsticks to change a generation in this country.

Senator Brazeau, thank you for reintroducing this; if nothing else, it is an important debate that Canadians should have.

It seems the intent of the bill would be to have the labelling done on each bottle. Is there provision or consideration for venues like bars and restaurants that do not serve the bottle of wine — they may serve a glass of wine or a Scotch and water, not the bottle of Scotch — where the consumer would not necessarily see the warning label?

Thank you for that question. Yes. If you take that specific example of inside of bars or areas where they do have liquor sales licences, there is a provision to ensure that even though they may not be within that room on every bottle, there would be warning signs in the establishment so consumers can see them.

Congratulations, Senator Brazeau. Thank you for introducing a piece of legislation that would enable Canadians to make informed decisions about their health.

My question is about the legislation and the health risks related to alcohol. Do you see the labels warning only against cancers, or do you see them being more expansive to list, potentially, other alcohol-related health risks?

Thank you for your comments and for the question.

In terms of Bill S-202, it is strictly cancer warnings on the products. Having said that, if you can be patient for another minute or two, we can get into Bill S-203. That may provide a more comprehensive answer in terms of where to go in the future with that. Let’s deal with Bill S-203 first. Thank you.

(On motion of Senator Martin, debate adjourned.)