In April 2007, the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse in partnership with the Alberta Alcohol and Drug Abuse Commission and Health Canada released Reducing Alcohol-related harm in Canada: Toward a culture of Moderation: Recommendations for a National Alcohol Strategy. This National Framework responds to calls issued by Canadians, their governments and non-governmental organizations for a more coordinated approach to meeting the challenges and harms associated with alcohol and other drugs and substances. The Framework, using a public health lens, summarizes a shared vision, principles, goals, and priorities for action, identified by partners. Canadian provinces, including Ontario, are encouraged to endorse these national recommendations.

In August 2007, a provincial alcohol strategy was unveiled out of the Department of Health Promotion and Protection of Nova Scotia. The strategy, Changing the Culture of Alcohol Use in Nova Scotia, incorporates the vision of broad cultural change, acknowledging Nova Scotia is a society in which individuals, families, and neighbourhoods support responsibility and risk reduction in the use of alcohol.

Both the provincial and national strategies focus on four key action areas:

1. Health promotion, prevention and education;
2. Health impacts and treatment;
3. Availability of alcohol; and
4. Safer communities.

Enjoy speakers such as:

• Norman Giesbrecht, Senior Scientist, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health; Dept. of Public Health Sciences, University of Toronto
• Anca Ialomiteanu, Research Coordinator, Population Studies, Social, Prevention and Health Policy Research Dept., Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
• Carolyn Franklin, Senior Advisor, National Framework Secretariat, Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse
• Barbara Miles, Coordinator, Prevention & Community Education
  Addiction Services, Department of Health Promotion and Protection, Government of Nova Scotia
• Reggie Caverson, Senior Health Promotion Consultant & Health Education Enforcement Partnership (HEP) Coordinator, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
• John Garcia, Director, Knowledge Exchange and Systems Evaluation,
  Ontario Tobacco Research Unit; Senior Consultant, Preventive Oncology
  Cancer Care Ontario; Dept. of Public Health Sciences, University of Toronto

Join us for the 5th annual alcohol forum focusing on national and provincial alcohol strategies and their implications at the local level. The aim of this forum is to bring substance abuse prevention professionals along with policy makers and partner agencies together in an opportunity for networking, discussions and knowledge exchange. This year we will be discussing the impact that national and provincial strategies have on the local community.

Cet événement sera conduit en anglais, toutefois des questions et les discussions en français seront bien accueillies.

When and Where?

The fifth annual Alcohol: No Ordinary Commodity forum will take place on Thursday, March 27, 2008 at the Ben Franklin Centre, 101 Centre pointe Drive, Ottawa.

Through the generous support of the Ontario Ministry of Health Promotion, we are able to offer this forum free of charge, and lunch (accommodating special dietary considerations) will be provided for all participants.

Registration

To register, please submit our online form. Space is limited and registration will close early if we reach capacity.

The deadline to register is: 4:00 p.m., Friday, March 14, 2008.

Directions and Parking:

The Map from Google

Directions from the Ottawa Airport:

1. Head northwest on Airport Parkway Pvt/Privé Airport Parkway - 1.4 km
2. Continue on Airport Pkwy/Promenade Airport - 0.5 km
3. Take the ramp to Prom. Uplands/Uplands Dr. - 0.2 km
4. Merge onto Alert Rd/Chemin Alert - 0.4 km
5. Slight right at Promenade Uplands/Uplands Dr - 1.8 km
6. Turn left at Chemin Hunt Club/Hunt Club Rd Continue to follow Hunt Club Rd - 7.4 km
7. Turn right at Avenue Woodroffe/Woodroffe Ave - 1.6 km
8. Turn left at Tallwood Dr - 0.4 km
9. Turn right at Centrepointe Dr/Promenade Centrepointe - 0.5 km

Area Hotels:

If you require accommodations, we suggest the following hotel, which is close to the venue: Best Western Macies Hotel, 1274 Carling Avenue, Ottawa, 1-800-268-5531 or 613-728-1951. When making your reservations, be sure to quote the group name: Alcohol: Forum 5, so that you will be charged the discounted rate. Please book before March 25th , 2008.

---

Brought to you by...

This forum is co-hosted by the Alcohol Policy Network of the Ontario Public Health Association, and the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), in partnership with Ottawa Public Health, Toronto Public Health, and York Region Health Services.

We gratefully acknowledge the funding provided for this forum by the Ontario Ministry of Health Promotion.