Ontario’s New Alcohol and Pregnancy Warning Signs Moderated Discussion on APOLNET Listserv, January 24 - February 4, 2005 Backgrounder On February 1, 2005, Sandy’s Law comes into effect in Ontario and establishments that are licensed to serve or sell alcohol will be required to post specific Warning Signs about the risks of alcohol use in pregnancy. Government Regulations specify the types of licensed establishments affected by this new law, the size, language, wording and images for the signs, and where the signs must be posted. The signs are consistent with the resources designed for Ontario’s May 2004 provincial campaign. The wording is: "WARNING: Drinking alcohol during pregnancy can cause birth defects and brain damage to your baby. 1-877-FAS-INFO www.alcoholfreepregnancy.ca" The following types of premises must post the warning sign: Restaurants and bars licensed to sell beverage alcohol (wine, beer and spirits); LCBO stores and other retail stores authorized to sell beverage alcohol (i.e., The Beer Store and wine, beer and spirits manufacturers’ stores) Licensed brew-on-premise facilities. The warning sign must be at least 8 by 10 inches in size. It must be prominently displayed. It can be posted in either colour or black and white. Signs must be posted in English, and can also be posted in French. How YOU can Help During this transition, health organisations and FASD interest groups may want to assist licensed establishments. Licensed establishments will likely have questions about alcohol and pregnancy, or about serving alcohol to pregnant women. You may want to be prepared. Here are some things you can do: Familiarize yourself with the Regulations. Be prepared for common questions about alcohol and pregnancy. Send information about alcohol and pregnancy to local licensed establishments. Send a letter or package of information to local licensed establishments. Send sample copies of the warning signs to local licensed establishments. Put information about the warning signs on your website. Put an article about the warning signs in your local paper. Common Concerns Staff and managers of licensed establishments can act as caring members of your community. You can help this happen by providing important information about respectful approaches to pregnant women. Many licensed establishments are concerned about alcohol use in pregnancy, for both health reasons and due to concerns about liability. You may be asked if it is legal to refuse to serve or sell alcohol to a pregnant woman. As you can imagine, this is a contentious issue. However, the Ontario Human Rights Commission clearly indicates that it is discriminatory to refuse to serve alcohol to a pregnant woman, based on her gender. In addition, refusing to serve alcohol to a pregnant woman does not limit her access to alcohol, nor does it address the underlying reasons for her alcohol use (i.e. stress, poverty, abuse, mental health concerns, addiction, etc.). You can suggest positive ways to make a difference, such as providing free non-alcoholic beverages to pregnant women. Availability of Warning Signs For a limited time only, to assist local groups in supporting licensed establishments, Best Start is making available print versions of the Warning Signs. These signs meet the specifications of the Regulations, and are printed on card stock. They are available in English or French. They can be ordered from www.beststart.org. Brochure for Licensed Establishments A Brochure for Licensed Establishments about alcohol and pregnancy, was recently developed by a BC group called SNAP Promotions. With assistance from Best Start, they have developed a version of this brochure with contact information relevant to Ontario groups. It is available in English only. To order copies of this resource, contact SNAP Promotions at (604) 687-3114 or www.snap.bc.ca. Additional Information Regulations http://www.e-laws.gov.on.ca/DBLaws/Source/Regs/English/2004/R04434_e.htm Warning Sign http://www.beststart.org/apcampaign/pdf/warning_sign_fre_eng.pdf Working with Licensed Establishments http://www.beststart.org/apcampaign/pdf/tip_sheet_licn_estab.pdf FAQs and Fact Sheet http://www.beststart.org/apcampaign/alc_preg.html Brochure for Licensed Establishments http://www.beststart.org/apcampaign/pdf/warning_brochure_en.pdf Ordering Warning Signs http://formsweb.opc.on.ca/bstart/order_form.html
		Hot Issues | Action Packs | Resources | Contacts Links | Search | Site Map | Home