News > Doctors should normalise questions about drinking habits, guideline says

Doctors should normalise questions about drinking habits, guideline says

Dr Ginette Poulin, a general practitioner specialising in addiction medicine in Manitoba and Ontario, said it’s important for doctors to normalise these conversations because early detection of high-risk drinking is key to preventing serious health problems, the same as routine screening for diabetes or high blood pressure. Patients often minimise the amount they drink, perhaps because they don’t realise that a nine-ounce glass of wine amounts to nearly two standard drinks, said Poulin.