Newbie Orientation Toolkit
Effective substance abuse prevention requires a sound understanding of health promotion, policy development, program planning, media advocacy, community development, and much more.
For those new to the substance abuse and injury prevention field, we have compiled a non-exhaustive list of resources commonly used by many professionals in the field. Consider this the foundation for a "Do-it-Yourself" toolkit of resources and references that you will build as you become more and more familiar with this aspect of the discipline.
For those new to alcohol policy, we suggest browsing our Alcohol Policy 101 information pack.
Twice a year we jointly host a Newbie teleconference, highlighting resources of interest. They include:
List of commonly used Acronyms, Terms, Topics
Guide to Statistics available online
Best Practices resources geared to substance abuse professionals
Key Newsletters and E-bulletins/Listservs including:
APOLNET listserv - created for professionals in public health, substance abuse, injury prevention and policy development to promote informed discussion about alcohol-related issues in Ontario and Canada.
Ontario Health Promotion Electronic (OHPE) bulletin - a weekly update of happenings in the health promotion field along with job postings and training opportunities. This service is free-of-charge and is emailed to your inbox each Friday afternoon. Also included is a helpful archived section of past editions, which can be searched by date or topic of interest.
CCSA's Addiction News Daily - a daily collection of news stories about addiction and the use or misuse of alcohol and illicit drugs. The stories are chosen for their potential interest to Canadians and are of national significance. They may have implications for policy development in Canada, highlight a new or emerging trend, or report on international policy, programs, initiatives or research.
A Newbie's Guide to Alcohol Policy
Directory of Substance Abuse and Injury Prevention Contacts in Public Health (aka "the Redbook") - This book, produced by APN, is distributed to each Health unit and FOCUS community in January of each year. It contains information on staff in each health unit, programs currently running, list of acronyms, and helpful readings for new professionals.
Key Contacts Database - online gateway to people and organizations supporting substance abuse prevention in Ontario and beyond. They have offered up their services as an information resource, potential media spokesperson, workshop and conference presenter, event organize/program contact, funder, or consultant.
Low-Risk Drinking Guidelines (LRDGs)
CAMH – Information about Children, Youth and Family – Best Advice Papers
MADD Canada publications
Government publications - can be found through their main websites:
Cultural Inclusion resources:
Bibliographies grouped by Topic Area
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Toolkit of Evaluation Methods and Measures — developed by the Ontario Injury Prevention Resource Centre (OIPRC)
General Health Promotion resources:
Opportunities for networking in person: (check the APN Upcoming Events calendar for listings)
Annual "Alcohol: No Ordinary Commodity" Forum - Hosted by the Alcohol Policy Network, this day-long forum focuses on current and emerging issues related to alcohol consumption and implications for health and safety policies. The aim of this forum is to bring substance abuse prevention and chronic disease professionals together in an opportunity for networking and knowledge exchange. Past topics included: Alcohol Advertising and Youth, and Alcohol and Chronic Disease.
Health Promotion Summer School - THCU offers a one-week crash course/conference in health promotion held each June. Excellent opportunity to get your feet wet and network with others. Includes a French and Aboriginal stream.
THCU Workshops - offers occasional workshops with a roster of qualified facilitators. Visit the website for more information.
Relevant Partners in the Alcohol and Other Drugs (AOD) group:
Alcohol Policy Network (APN) - dedicated to Canadian alcohol policy issues and contains papers, manuals, and web links on alcohol policy and its effect on public health and safety. These resources are written for public health professionals, many of their requests coming from public and community health units. APN also offers teleconferences, workshops, and the APOLNET listserv to facilitate discussions with other professionals. Listserv subscribers also receive the bi-weekly Alcohol in the News e-bulletin, highlighting a diverse range of articles from around the world, relating to alcohol.
Association to Reduce Alcohol Promotion in Ontario (ARAPO) - attempts to reduce the impact of alcohol advertising, promotion and sponsorship through education, policy and community action. ARAPO produces research papers on the effects of alcohol advertising on youth consumption. They also produce youth and peer-to-peer resources for presenting to students on substance abuse issues - priimarily media literacy - and the effects of advertising on behaviour. These resources include how-to manuals, posters, brochures, etc.
Council on Drug Abuse (CODA) - sponsors preventative drug and alcohol education programs. Resources include providing seminars, information on peer-based programming, pamphlets and fact sheets on drug use.
FOCUS Resource Centre and community programs (FRC) - provide drug and alcohol abuse prevention programming in their communities. FRC offers resources on all types of drugs, including the hot topics of alcohol, marijuana, and crystal meth. A key resource is Alcohol and Drugs in the News, a regularly updated section of the website dedicated to alcohol and drug issues in local and international news. Working with CAMH consultants, the FOCUS centres have produced excellent resources on harm reduction, safe bar policies, drug education, etc.
Ontario Drug Awareness Partnership (ODAP) - involved with co-hosting, with FRC, an annual symposium on alcohol and drug issues along with organizing the activities of Drug Awareness Committees (DACs) across the province. Coproduces promotional materials with PAD.
Parent Action on Drugs (PAD) - offers a wide range of programs and services aimed at prevention, education and support. PAD provides excellent resources on presenting and working with youth. Resources include harm reduction videos, practical teaching guides, and curriculum resources for both teachers and parents. PAD also produces, in conjunction with ODAP, promotional materials such as CD-ROMs, stickers, fact sheets, etc. available from their website.