May 2009

 

Alcohol: No Ordinary Commodity, Extraordinary Forum
with contributions from Garth Hardie, OPHA Communications and Public Relations Officer

Six years after the Alcohol: No Ordinary Commodity Forum first appeared on the public health horizon, this annual gathering of researchers, policy analysts, community advocate, and public health professionals for a day of evidence-based research and programming discussions has become an institution — a high priority for anyone  who is  committed to making a difference to alcohol harms in Ontario.

Ask Tanya Beattie. A seasoned health promoter, Tanya has attended two Forums — numbers five and six — and now, she says, she’s hooked.

“Last year’s conference for me was great as an introduction to the broader community of my peers. But this year it was even better. I developed a deeper understanding of the issues,” she enthused, during a telephone conversation from her office at the Kingston, Frontenac and Lennox & Addington Public Health Unit. “The atmosphere of openness and frank talk allowed participants to ask hard questions and probe for honest answers.”

Tanya isn’t the only one who values the annual event. Fifty-five percent (55%) of this years’ participants attended the 2008 Forum, while 85% indicated they would recommend the Forums to colleagues.

Tanya says that the comfortable atmosphere for the events of the day — March 5, 2009 at the North York Civic Centre in Toronto — was set and maintained by Forum moderator Nancy Langdon of Ottawa Public Health who serves as Chair of OPHA’s Alcohol Workgroup. The objectives of the day — providing opportunities for networking with colleagues, to provide an update and discuss current alcohol policy information, and to provide mobilization strategies on alcohol policy issues — were all expertly accomplished. The theme this year, Alcohol Across the Lifespan, was thoroughly explored.

Dr. Phil Groff of the Ontario Injury Prevention Resource Centre, and Dr. Robert Mann from the University of Toronto and the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, detailed this data out further focusing on major trends related to alcohol and injuries including motor vehicle collisions, violence, and drownings.

Dr. Norman Giesbrecht, also of the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, presented extensive research on the clear link between alcohol consumption and various chronic diseases including stroke and cancers.

Ms. Pegeen Walsh and Ms. Daina Mueller, both of the Ontario Ministry of Health Promotion, related the presented research to current Ministry priorities and the need for such research to move the Ontario Public Health Standards forward within a public health unit framework.

With Tanya's academic background in Environmental Life Sciences from Queen’s University, many years working at FOCUS sites and in injury prevention, along with her current engagement in the Safe and Sober Alliance, she has gained a solid understanding of the complexities of a wide variety of alcohol policy issues.

The added value for Tanya was updating her knowledge of current developments in alcohol misuse — a presentation by the University of Western Ontario’s Dr. Louis Glicksman on Trends in Alcohol Consumption and High Risk Drinking in Ontario. Learning for example — among many other significant public health flags — that 32% of drinkers consume alcohol at levels higher than recommended and that drinking among women aged 18-39 had increased, prompted her to explore further her opinions and intuitions about broader issues around alcohol misuse.

“I was happy to be in a setting where I could clarify my perspective, sharpen my intuitions and learn by openly discussing ideas with my peers,” Tanya says recalling her favorite moments – the informative panel discussion and the lively question and answer session that followed it . “The Alcohol: No Ordinary Commodity Forum is definitely now a high priority for me — a key component of my annual professional development process.”

A model for others

Alcohol: No Ordinary Commodity is not just a success it its own right. Fuelled by the positive experiences of hundreds of participants the forum’s signature is now being viewed with a keen eye as a model for other public health initiatives.

Two years ago Hélène Gagné had never heard of the Forum. Happily immersed in cancer programs, injury prevention and health promotion, she was moving in circles far removed from alcohol. Just over a year ago she was newly appointed as Program Director in Injury Prevention at the Ontario Neurotrauma Foundation.

Now that her work focuses more closely on the connection between alcohol and injuries and suicide prevention, a whole new world of opportunity for engagement in alcohol issues emerged. Acting on the recommendation of a colleague (Kerri Richards who chairs OPHA’s newly formed Injury Prevention Workgroup), Hélène participated in her very first Forum and went back to her role — newly connected, energized and impressed.

“The format of the day’s activities allows for a highly productive sharing of ideas and perspectives among colleagues that goes beyond superficial acquaintance networking. And that is very valuable to a newcomer,” Hélène says. “The availability of experts who have direct knowledge of the evidence and are able to articulate the impact of their work is something that many other programs could emulate.”

For Hélène, the presentations by Dr. Phil Groff (Alcohol and Injuries) and Dr. Robert Mann (Recent Developments in Drinking and Driving and Effective Responses) provided new focus for her energies.

“I gained a new perspective on what needs to be done. New directions in alcohol harm reduction should be multi-faceted—connecting more effectively with the transportation sector, the education sector, along with legislative and enforcement components” she says regarding the presentations. But her most enthusiastic endorsement was reserved for the program. “Knowledge exchange initiatives in other areas of public health could benefit from the approach that the Forum has mastered.”

The OPHA Alcohol Workgroup will be analyzing, prioritizing, and moving forward on recommendations put forth at the Forum. More information will follow over the coming months highlighted over the APOLNET Listserv. 

For details including presentations and research documents from Forum #6, visit our Alcohol: No Ordinary Commodity forum web page.

New Impaired Driving Laws Took Effect May 1st

Stiffer sanctions for impaired drivers have now come to Ontario.

Decades of research have shown that implementing impaired driving countermeasures such as stronger BAC laws and frequent RIDE spot-check programs can significantly decrease injuries and death statistics related to motor vehicle collisions, as defined in Thomas Babor et. al’s research report. Currently, at a national level, four people are killed and 207 people are injured in impaired driving crashes every day in Canada, according to MADD Canada.

“What we’re telling people [through this new legislation] is that impaired driving simply isn’t worth the risks,” says Mr. Andrew Murie, CEO of MADD Canada in a recent media release. “You could lose your licence and, more importantly, you could kill or injure yourself and others.”

The new laws announced through the Ontario Ministry of Transportation clarify that as of May 1, 2009, drivers with a Blood Alcohol Concentration of 0.05 to 0.08 are now subject to the following penalties:

1. Your driver's licence is suspended for three days on your first offence, including a monetary penalty of $150.
2. After the second offence, you will have your driver's licence suspended for seven days and will have to attend the “Back on Track” alcohol education program coordinated out of the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. Additionally, the offender will be responsible for paying the costs associated with the program along with the monetary penalty of $150.
3. The third offence has your driver's license suspended for 30 days, participation in a complete remedial alcohol treatment program, and an ignition interlock condition placed on your driver's licence for six months.

The previous law saw that drivers only received a 12-hour driver's licence suspension under these same conditions, no matter how many times they were caught.

These new laws will have an immediate effect at both provincial and local levels throughout Ontario.

“These new laws are part of a comprehensive strategy for road safety and support our efforts to make Niagara’s roads safer by addressing impairment – one of our top three causes of serious collisions,” explains Linda Beyer, Health Promoter with the Chronic Disease and Injury Prevention branch at Niagara Region Public Health. “Increased penalties will send a clear message to drivers that there is too much at stake to risk having any alcohol before they drive.”

Such laws are welcomed in Niagara, as recent statistics confirm that in 2007 there were more than 6,000 motor vehicle collisions in this region - 80 of which were fatal or near-fatal.

“We expect to see a big change in driver’s attitudes and behaviours as drivers become informed about the new legislation and enforcement results from our Niagara police agencies,” concludes Ms. Beyer who also serves as Chair of the Regional Niagara Road Safety Committee and is heavily involved with Niagara’s award winning Think and Drive Campaign.

It is important to note that novice drivers in the Graduated Licensing System (GLS) must still maintain a zero BAC while driving or face an immediate suspension at roadside, a 30-day licence suspension, and a fine upon conviction. For offenders with a BAC of 0.08, or higher or who refuse a breath test, an immediate licence roadside suspension for 90 days is enforced along with further potential charges. The chart developed by the Ontario Ministry of Transportation provides a detailed look at all impaired driving laws in Ontario.

You Are Invited! Building for the Future: OPHA Conference 2009

From November 1-4, 2009, the Ontario Public Health Association invites you to be part of its long-standing annual tradition — hosting, engaging, and energizing the largest gathering of public health practitioners in Ontario at its annual conference.

This year’s conference, held at the Marriott Toronto Downtown Eaton Centre Hotel, promises to be bigger and better than ever. After all, it has been 60 years in the making! That’s right. OPHA is celebrating 60 years as the “voice of public health” across Ontario. An exciting roster of leading thinkers and speakers with keynote addresses, workshops, panels, roundtable discussions, and poster presentations that reflect the entire scope of public health practice.

The focus of this year’s conference — Building for the Future — will allow participants to immerse themselves in current thinking on: Collaboration, Knowledge Exchange, Innovation, Health Equity, and the Public Health Workforce. Public health professionals are invited to submit abstracts on any of the above themes for consideration. The deadline is May 18, 2009.

Members of OPHA and potential members are also invited to attend OPHA’s Annual General Meeting, which will be held on Monday, November 2nd at 5:15p.m. This event provides a unique opportunity to learn about OPHA’s advocacy activities, new dimensions of growth in the organization, and to exercise your right to debate and vote on the resolutions and position papers being considered for adoption by OPHA.

Please keep visiting OPHA’s conference website for the latest updates and details about all aspects of the conference — call for abstracts, keynote speakers, conference activities, registration, and much more.