Winter 2007

 

Culture Counts: A Road Map to Health Promotion

The proportion of Canada's population that belongs to minority ethnocultural groups has increased dramatically over the last few decades. However, evidence shows that health promotion programs created for the mainstream population do not always work as well for ethnocultural communities and can lose the impact of the messages.

"Our problem is that we lived in a country with propaganda and we are very selective about what we hear … We do not trust journalists, government and other official sources of information and we usually do opposite from what they advise." — Russian community focus group

Culture Counts: A Road Map to Health Promotion is a new guide that demonstrates how to create and implement health promotion initiatives that will have an impact in ethnocultural communities. Released earlier this year, the Culture Counts guide is intended for anyone working in a mainstream agency or organization who is considering undertaking a health promotion initiative with ethnocultural communities, or who has attempted to do so in the past, with unsatisfactory results. The guide covers issues related to health promotion in ethnocultural communities, and provides links to online resources that explore each issue more deeply.

The guide is the outcome of the final phase of the Culture Counts Project, a three-year provincial project based on a partnership between the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) and seven community-based organizations serving the Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Punjabi, Serbian, Somali, and Tamil communities in Ontario.

The project's first phase used the Low-Risk Drinking Guidelines (LRDGs) to test the best practices approach to community education and knowledge exchange with ethnocultural communities. The findings guided the project's second phase, which included cultural adaptation and translation of the LRDGs and the development of alcohol-related messages that incorporated the audience's cultural beliefs and values.

This free teleconference session will:

• highlight the project's findings and best practices in community education with ethnocultural communities,
• demonstrate the online resource, and
• discuss the application of the techniques to community practitioners' health promotion work.

If you would like to hear a more detailed examination of the Culture Counts resource, than please register for our free teleconference on Tuesday, January 15th, 2008, 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. EST. The teleconference will be moderated by Branka Agic and Marianne Kobus-Matthews of the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health.

Eight Safe Hosting Tips for the Holiday Season

The holiday season has started and most of us will enjoy gathering with family and friends! If you are planning to host your own party, you have a legal responsibility to ensure that your guests' safety is a top priority. By putting the safety of your guests first, you are setting a positive example for your family and friends that will influence future parties and events where alcohol is served.

This month, The Healthy Herald, a publication of the Port Colborne/Wainfleet Healthy Lifestyles Coalition, has recommended some safe hosting tips to reduce risks and increase safety:

1. As the host, plan to drink moderately or not at all — the more you drink, the harder it becomes to think clearly, act quickly, and resolve problems as they may arise.
2. Plan in advance to deal with guests who have had too much to drink; before the party, ask a few people to remain sober to resolve problems as they may arise.
3. Don't serve alcohol before planned physical activities such as skiing, snowmobiling, and skating. Alcohol impairs coordination and judgment thus making people more susceptible to injuries.
4. Offer plenty of low-alcohol and alcohol-free drinks.
5. Always serve food when serving alcohol as it slows down the rate at which alcohol is absorbed. Foods with high fat and protein such as cheese and meats are especially good.
6. As host, serve drinks your self to regulate serving sizes and number of drinks (see the Low-Risk Drinking Guidelines for details). Avoid doubles, shooters, shots, and drinking games. As well, don't force drinks on your guests or rush to refill their glasses when empty.
7. Stop serving alcohol a few hours before the party is over, as time without alcohol is the only thing that will sober people up.
8. Make sure that everyone has a safe and sober way to get home — know your designated drivers, be prepared to call a taxi, take away car keys, or have overnight guests.

In light of this last point, the LCBO's latest social responsibility campaign asks the public to consider why they wouldn't think twice about intervening to save a stranger from harm, but might hesitate to prevent someone they know from driving after drinking to avoid possible embarrassment. Collaborating with MADD Canada, the LCBO has produced a TV commercial, radio ad, and tip sheets — available this holiday season — to help build awareness and strategies around this issue.

We at APN wish you and yours a Safe and Happy Holiday Season!