Municipal Alcohol Policy
Addiction Research Foundation*. MAP: A Step Towards a Safer Healthier Community. Toronto: pamphlet, 1996.
Addiction Research Foundation* and Alcohol Policy Network, Ontario Public Health Association. Power to regulate municipal property or events, Regulating municipal facilities and events, Sample municipal alcohol policy: City of Niagara Falls, and List of Ontario communities with municipal alcohol policies in Communities Take Action / Les Collectivités passent à l’action!, P. Neves and D. De Pape, N. Giesbrecht, M. Kobus-Mathews, E. Kruzel, D. Abbott, S. Cusenza, L. Gliksman, B. Hyndman, R. Oliver, E. Single, eds. Toronto: Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, 1998, p. 21, 31, 121-136, 137-148.
Purchasing information can be obtained at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health Website: www.camh.net, under Resources.
Alcohol Policy Network. Developments in alcohol policy at the local level in Priorities: Developments in alcohol policy in Ontario 1995-1996. P. Neves, ed. Toronto: Alcohol Policy Network in collaboration with the Addiction Research Foundation, Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse and Ontario Public Health Association, 1996.
Caverson, R. and C. Smythe, R.R. Douglas, G. Leakey. (2001) Blazing New Trails in Canada with alcohol policies. Prevention File, 16(1) (Winter), 9-11.
Chiu, A. and P. Maness, R.R. Douglas, M. Rylett. An alcohol policy intervention in a Canadian aboriginal community: The Chippewas of Sarnia’s demonstration. The Prevention Pipeline, 13(2) (March/April), 30&31.
Danaher, A. and C. Kato. Making a Difference in Your Community: A Guide for Policy Change. Toronto: Ontario Public Health Association, 1995.
This guide sets out to provide individuals and groups with basic knowledge and skills about the process of policy change at the local level for the purpose of community health promotion. Chapters deal with topics such as fostering community change with policy, identifying and analyzing the problem, assessing community support, setting goals, and working towards them. Nineteen community experiences are included, four of which involve alcohol-related issues.
De Pape, D. and M. Leonard, G. Pollett, D. Heughan. Health benefits of municipal alcohol policy: A role for public health. Public Health & Epidemiology Report Ontario (PHERO), October 1995, 6 (10), p. 262-265.
Douglas, R.R. Alcohol management policies for municipal recreation departments: development and implementation of the Thunder Bay model. Prevention: Alcohol and the Environment. N.Giesbrecht and A.Cox, eds. Toronto: Addiction Research Foundation, 1986, p. 177-197.
Douglas, R.R. and K. Moffatt, R. Caverson, E. Single, M. Thomson. Drinking practices and some implications to managing alcohol in municipal recreational facilities and parks / La consommation de boissons alcoolisées et les implications d'une réglementation à cet effet dans les installations de loisir et parcs municipaux. Recreation Canada, April 1986, 44 (2), p. 32-39.
Douglas, R.R. Formulating alcohol policies for community recreation facilities: Tactics and problems. Research, Action, and the Community: Experiences in the Prevention of Alcohol and Other Drug Problems. N. Giesbrecht, and P. Conley, R.W. Denniston, L. Gliksman, H. Holder, A. Pederson, R. Room, M. Shain, eds. Rockville, Maryland: U.S. Office for Substance Abuse Prevention, 1990, p. 61-67.
Douglas, R.R. and S. Pyette, J. Anstice. Tehkummah's alcohol management policy: A model policy that may help reduce risks associated with SOP functions. Municipal World, July 1990, 100 (7), p. 14-18.
Tehkuma Township, Ontario initiated a policy to prevent problems that might occur in its facilities as a result of alcohol being served at specially licensed events. The policy contains 9 regulations dealing with : licensing, signage, server training, availability of low alcohol drinks, safe transportation, control, accountability, insurance, and license applications. Three references and a contact are included.
Douglas, R.R. and N. Giesbrecht. Introducing Sully Ledermann to John Doe: Linking theory to the community policy agenda. Journal of Alcohol and Drug Education, Winter 1993, 38 (2), p. 1-13.
Douglas, R.R. and C. Narbonne- Fortin. Municipal Alcohol Policy Diffusion in Ontario: News Clippings (May 1980- September 1996). Toronto: Addiction Research Foundation, 1996.
Douglas, R.R. and C. Narbonne- Fortin, R. Lauzon. Making it work: Getting municipalities involved in alcohol policy. Prevention Pipeline, July/August 1997, 10 (4), p. 31-33.
Douglas, R.R. and M. Rylett, C. Narbonne- Fortin, L. Gliksman. The evolution of municipal alcohol policy: Ontario 1980-1998. Municipal World, July 1999, 109 (7), p. 21-23.
Douglas, R.R. and L. Prentice, M. Rylett, L. Gliksman. Applied democracy in the reduction of community problems: Alcohol policy development in rural communities. (Submitted for Publication.)
Else, P. and R.R. Douglas, B. Becks. Responding to the challenge: Reducing problems through municipal alcohol policy development. Public Health & Epidemiology Report Ontario (PHERO), 1992, 3 (20), p. 348-350.
Local communities can control when and how alcohol is consumed in municipally owned recreation facilities and parks. This article describes the process used to develop municipal alcohol policy and discuss the impact of policy on local drinking practices. Also considered is the role the ARF and boards of health staff may take in assisting communities to develop, implement, and monitor a municipal policy.
Giesbrecht, N. and R.R. Douglas. The demonstration project and comprehensive community programming: Dilemmas in preventing alcohol-related problems. Contemporary Drug Problems, Fall 1990, 17 (3), p. 421-459.
Giesbrecht, N. and J. Ferris. Community-based research initiatives in prevention. Addiction Supplement, 83S-93S, 1993.
An overview of community-based action research projects is presented focusing on the interaction between community and research agendas, the difficulty and rewards of this approach, and the unique opportunities of these projects. The potential for policy development as a result of these initiatives has not been fully explored, and some suggestions for the implementation of policies based on the results of action research projects are made. The policy implications of several interventions are discussed, along with limitations and benefits of policy components within a project, rather than as spin-offs. The paper concludes with suggestions for planning community action projects to enhance the policy formulation aspect of these projects.
Giesbrecht, N. and A.E. Cox (eds.) Prevention : Alcohol and the Environment - Issues, Constituencies, and Strategies, Toronto: Addiction Research Foundation,* 1986.
A compilation of papers and reports from a symposium held in Toronto, March 18-19, 1985. Issues discussed include recommendations on developing a consensus within a community to control the abuse of alcohol, the impact of serving practices on drinking behaviour, campus alcohol policies and education for low-risk drinking, and municipal regulatory interventions.
Gliksman, L. Alcohol management policies for municipal recreation departments: An evaluation of the Thunder Bay model. Prevention: Alcohol and the Environment, N. Giesbrecht and A. Cox, eds. Toronto: Addiction Research Foundation*, 1986, p. 198-204.
Gliksman, L., R.R. Douglas, M. Rylett, and C. Narbonne-Fortin. Reducing problems through municipal alcohol policies: the Canadian experiment in Ontario. Drugs: Education, Prevention, and Policy, 1995, 2(2), p.105-118.
The province of Ontario grants municipalities the local option to sell or not sell alcohol. Increasingly, Ontario municipalities are applying this option to their municipally owned or managed facilities in an attempt to reduce problems related to alcohol use. Facilities such as arenas, community centres and parks are used as venues for recreational events. As volunteers operating these events are often inexperienced, numerous problems can arise. This paper develops a policy model being recommended to Ontario communities. It also reports on the progress that has been made to date in developing policies and the initial perceptions of the municipal staff about the impact of such policies on alcohol related problems.
Gliksman, L., D. McKenzie, E. Single, R.R. Douglas, S. Brunet, and K. Moffat. The role of alcohol providers in prevention: an evaluation of a Server Intervention Programme. Addiction, 1993 (88), p. 1195-1203.
Server intervention is a relatively new approach in the attempt to reduce the incidence of drinking and driving. Although a number of evaluations have suggested that the approach may be effective, there have been few comprehensive evaluations of such programmes. The present study utilized process evaluation techniques to assess both the reactions to and the impact of a server intervention programme. The programme appears to have been effective in changing behaviour, as trained servers exhibited fewer inappropriate responses than untrained servers. Implications for future research are discussed.
Gliksman, L., R.R. Douglas, M. Thomson, K. Moffat, C. Smythe and R. Caverson. Promoting municipal alcohol policies: an evaluation of a campaign. Contemporary Drug Problems, 1990, 17(3), p. 391-420.
The local social control policy, adopted in 1980 by the City of Thunder Bay, Ontario is briefly described. Promotion of the policy was intended to appeal to the citizen's sense of community, thus increasing the likelihood of voluntary compliance. A major media campaign was undertaken in 1983, and is evaluated here in order to assess its impact on residents. Survey results reveal that individuals are not necessarily opposed to policies that restrict the availability of alcohol, and that an advertising campaign that reports both the policy and the reason for its incorporation can produce changes in the attitudes and intentions of residents, and increase the likelihood of compliance.
Gliksman, L. and R.R. Douglas, M. Rylett. (1999) Two decades of municipal alcohol policy development: Challenges, solutions and preliminary findings in a Canadian province in Kettil Bruun Society Thematic Meeting: Fourth Symposium on Community Action Research and the Prevention of Alcohol and Other Drug Problems. S. Casswell, H. Holder, Marja Holmila, S. Larsson, R. Midford, H. Moewaka Barnes, P. Nygaard, L. Stewart, eds. Auckland: Alcohol and Public Health Research Unit, University of Auckland, 49-66.
Green, L.W. Community Health, Times Mirror/Moseby Publishing: St. Louis, 1990.
This is a general textbook written to enlarge the understanding of students in the area of community health and preventative medicine, public health, school health, and self-care. A section on misuse of alcohol and other drugs are included along with a suggested community health promotion model.
Heath, J.E. and T. L. McCarty, D. Heughan. The development of alcohol risk management policies: Revisiting the issues and impact. Public Health & Epidemiology Report Ontario (PHERO), 1995 (07/28), p. 176-181.
Heath, J.E. and T.L. McCarty. The development of alcohol risk management policies: Revisiting the issues and impact. Drugs: Education, Prevention and Policy, 1995, 2 (3), p.189-197.
Journal, The. Ontario community tackles public drinking. Toronto: Addiction Research Foundation. July 1984, p.16.
Kinross, I. Politiques sur l'alcool, moins de délits reliés / MAPs cut booze-related problems. The Journal, 1995, 24 (5), p. 2.
Lauzon, R. Small community offers solutions to alcohol problems. The OPP Review, Sept. 1995, p. 8-10.
A 10 member committee was formed with the goal of providing responsible management practices at Special Occasion Permit functions held in Township of Dymond, Ontario facilities. To acquaint the community with the benefits of the new policy, various forms of community education programmes were organized, pamphlets were distributed, and server intervention training was offered. These measures are briefly discussed.
Lauzon, R. and T. Gregoire, L. Gliksman, I. McKay, R.R. Douglas. Mattagami First Nation’s alcohol policy to reduce alcohol-related harm. The Canadian Journal of Native Studies, 1998, 18 (1), p. 37-48.
Licence Line. Municipal Alcohol Policies Set Guidelines, Meet Wide Acceptance. Liquor Licence Board of Ontario. July 1992, p. 4.
Liquor License Board of Ontario. The Hearing Process: A Guide For Residents Objecting To A Liquor License Application. LLBO, 1991.
A Pamphlet briefly outlining the options available to residents wishing to oppose a liquor license in their community. Dissent may be voiced at public meetings, or more formal hearings. Some suggestions on organization are offered, as are recommendations on requesting reviews or appeals of decisions. Relevant departments of the LLBO are listed as contacts for further reference.
McCarty, T and J.E. Heath. Minimizing risk through alcohol policies: The experience of two counties. Municipal World, January 1996, 106 (1), p. 6 & 7.
Municipal Monitor. (2000) The '70 Plus' Policy: An emerging standard in municipal alcohol management, 3(6), 10 & 12.
Murray, G.G. Alcohol management policies for municipal recreation departments: Applying marketing principles to the promotion of local policy developments. Prevention: Alcohol and the Environment, N. Giesbrecht and A. Cox, eds. Toronto: Addiction Research Foundation, 1986, p.161-175.
Murray, G.G. and R.R. Douglas. Social marketing in the alcohol policy arena. British Journal of Addiction, 1988 (83), p. 505-511.
This article examines a strategy for implementing alcohol policies at the community level through social marketing consideration. Policy makers have been singular in their refusal to heed the advice of researchers. One explanation of why the product has not been "bought" is that the professionals in the addiction field are so preoccupied with the truth of their findings that they fail to take into account the needs of those to whom they are "selling" - the legislators. Focus is on identifying and segmenting the market, developing a short-term strategy to take advantage of opportunities that arise and a post-policy effort to bring about public support.
Murray, G., and, M. Thomson, R.R. Douglas. Municipal government intervention in alcohol policy: a working model. Recreation Research Review, March 1984, p. 28-34.
In the city of Thunder Bay, Ontario, an alcohol management policy was developed in the wake of a public debate about the use and misuse of alcohol in public parks and recreation facilities. An attempt is made to identify the way by which legal, political, and ethical right was defined and established in the policy-making process. It explores how the policy-makers interpreted a community problem, activated a community solution, and in doing so, established a right to be engaged in the policy making process. The experience of Thunder Bay may provide some useful theoretical considerations to serve as practical guides in other communities.
An examination of the ethical and ideological difficulties of public policy development within the context of the Thunder Bay experience. The question of the policy developer's right is examined in the dialectical context of community need versus public demand, government versus community responsibility, and individual liberty versus social good. A working model for policy development which encompasses a community based public health ethic is recommended.
Narbonne-Fortin, C. Municipal Alcohol Policies, Sudbury: Addiction Research Foundation*, Sudbury Area Office, 1994.
It is proposed that municipal alcohol policy ought to be initiated as a risk reduction strategy. Three appendices are included, outlining how a municipality might organize an alcohol management task team, suggested activities for such a task team, a sample of possible policy content, and a plan for promotion of such policy to the public. An alcohol policy checklist suggests issues and recommendations that municipalities may wish to consider, discussing the rationale for their inclusion.
Narbonne-Fortin, C. Chapleau: Working toward an alcohol-safer community. What Works! Innovation in Community Mental Health and Addiction Treatment Programs. G. Duplessis, M. McCrea, C. Viscoff and S. Doupe, eds. Toronto: Canadian Scholar's Press, 1993, p. 321-329.
Narbonne-Fortin, C. and H. Philbin Wilkinson, R. Lauzon, L. LaRocque. Politiques municipales de gestion de l'alcool: stratégies pour diminuer les problèmes reliés à la consommation. REFLETS: Revue ontariose d'intervention sociale et communautaire, Automme 1995, 1 (2), p. 195-210.
Narbonne-Fortin, C. and M. Rylett, R.R. Douglas, L. Gliksman. Municipal alcohol policies in Ontario: A survey. Municipal World, January 1996, 106 (1), p. 4 & 5.
Narbonne-Fortin, C. and R. Lauzon, R.R. Douglas. Reducing alcohol-related harm in communities: A policy paradigm. Harm Reduction: A New Direction for Drug Policies and Programs, P.G. Erickson, D.M. Riley, Y.W. Cheung, and P.A. O'Hare, eds. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1997, p. 228-244.
Pollard, A. and T. Abraham, R.R. Douglas. Avoiding litigation: Elliot Lake's alcohol management policy / Comment éviter les poursuites judiciaires: Une politique de contrôle de la consummation d'alcool élaborée par la municipalité d'Elliot Lake. Recreation Canada, December 1989, 47 (5), p. 12-18.
Prevention File. Canadian Experiences in Alcohol Policies. B.E. Ryan, Ed., San Diego: UCSD, 1992, 7(5), p. 26-28.
Prevention File. Changing the Rules in Thunder Bay. R. Zimmerman, Ed., San Diego: UCSD, Summer 1990, 5(3), p. 8 & 9.
Room, R. Recent research on the effects of alcohol policy changes. Journal of Primary Prevention, 1990, 11(1), p. 83-94.
As the agenda of alcohol problems prevention has broadened new traditions of research have emerged, including experimental studies at the community or societal level. While it has been shown that control measures can influence alcohol problems rates, substantial change seems to require changes in the political status quo, often also involving popular movements. Except for taxes, raising the drinking age, and drinking-driving counter-measures, the political will to restrict availability has been lacking in market-oriented industrial societies of the modern era.
Room, R. (ed.). Contemporary Drug Problems: An Interdisciplinary Quarterly, 1990, 17(3).
The entire issue focuses on "Evaluated Community Action Projects in Alcohol Problems Prevention". Five articles focus on topics such as an applied systems approach to the reduction of alcohol problems, a description of a server intervention programme, worksite community processes in the prevention of alcohol abuse, promotion of municipal alcohol policies, and a consideration the dilemmas in preventing alcohol-related problems.
Roy, M. and R. Caverson. Alcohol in Municipal Recreation: a Survey of Perceived Difficulties and Current Policies in Northern Ontario, Sudbury: Addiction Research Foundation, Sudbury Area Office, 1984.
During the summer of 1984 a survey was conducted of municipal government recreational departments and committees in Northern Ontario. Its chief aims were to identify alcohol related problems in municipal recreational facilities, and the policies communities had adopted in an attempt to better manage alcohol. Most evident from the survey was the lack of awareness on the part of the respondents to some of the key issues related to the use of alcohol in such facilities. The authors recommend the need to increase awareness of personnel of key issues, increase dialogue about alcohol in the community, and establish collaborative efforts, and establish collaborative efforts between practitioners in the fields of recreation and alcohol.
Rylett, M. MAPs having an impact. Building together, September 11, 1998, p. 1.
Rylett, M. and R.R. Douglas, C. Narbonne-Fortin, L. Gliksman. Managing alcohol events in recreation facilities: What’s working in Ontario. Facility Forum, March/April 1999, 9 (3), p. 20, 23, 24, 29 & 30.
Smart, R.G. Drinking under special occasion permits: A neglected aspect of alcohol control measures? Journal of Studies on Alcohol, 1988, 49 (2), p. 196-199.
Solomon, R.M., and S.J. Usprich, R.R. Douglas, L.Kiss, L. Prout. Politiques municipales de gestion de l'alcool: stratégies pour diminuer les problèmes reliés à la consommation. Municipal Alcohol Policy: Liability, Prosecution, and Risk Minimization, Toronto: Addiction Research Foundation, 1996.
Symons, K.D. and R.R. Douglas. Community policing in action: Controlling special occasion permit drinking events. OPP Review, March 1991, 26 (1), p. 6-8.
Tessier, C. and M. Rylett, R. Douglas, L. Gliksman. Alcohol management in recreation facilities: Scarborough and other Ontario cities / La gestion de l’alcool dans les installations de loisirs à Scarborough et dans d’autres villes de l’Ontario. Recreation Canada, November/ December 1997, 55 (5), p. 18-21.
Thomson, M. and R.R. Douglas. 'A Peak Into The Black Box': A policy development model for the resolution of social and health issues in municipal recreation. Recreation Research Review, July 1983, 10 (1), p. 29-34.
Thomson, M. and R.R. Douglas, G. Murray, K. Moffatt. A recreation practitioner's role in the development of a municipal alcohol policy. Municipal World, September 1984, 94 (9), p. 227-229 and 250.
Thomson, M. and K. Moffatt, R.R. Douglas, G. Murray, L. Gliksman. Mise en oeuvre d'une politique réglementant la consommation de boissons alcoolisées sur les sites récréatifs municipaux: amener les participants à jouer selon les règles / Implementing a policy to manage alcohol in municipal recreational facilities: Influencing participants to play by the rules. Recreation Canada, July 1985, 43 (3), p. 39-46.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Getting It Together: Promoting Drug-free Communities. Rockville, MD: Office for Substance Abuse Prevention, 1991.
This is a guide designed to serve organizations and individuals working with youth on issues of alcohol and other drug prevention. It aims to promote the formation of youth coalitions by suggesting programme approaches, discussing what needs must be assessed, the set-up, planning, and management of such coalitions, and how money might be raised to fund such programmes.
Whitman, F.D. Manual For Community Planning to Prevent Problems of Alcohol Availability. Prevention Research Centre of the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation & U.C. Berkley Institute for the Study of Social Change, 1988.
This manual provides an overview of issues in the preventive regulation of alcohol availability, knowledge on alcohol outlets and alcohol problems, and case studies of successful local planning. Though the work relates primarily to California, a glossary and reference section will be useful for those who wish to undertake their own research or further pursue the issue of community-level prevention of problems.
Online Articles:
A Policy Response to Reduce Alcohol-related Risk in Municipal Facilities and Arenas. J. Cameron. www.apolnet.org/actpacks/bi_map5.html
City of Niagara Falls on the MAP. Community Stories: Alcohol Policy Network. www.apolnet.org/actpacks/co_pol4.html
Library Catalogue Search. Toronto: Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. [Search Title: “Municipal Alcohol Policy” (19 MAP articles) or Authors: (listed in the library holdings): Terry Abrahan (1) or (Jim Anstice (1) or Bill Becks (1) or Ron Begin (1) or Regina J. E. Caverson (3) or Audry Danaher (2) or Ronald R. Douglas (38) or Patricia Else (1) or Norman Giesbrecht (6) or Louis Gliksman (15) or Carolyn Kato (2) or Louise LaRocque (1) or Rene Lauzon (5) or Kenneth Moffatt (7) or Glen Murray (9) or Claire Narbonne-Fortin (9) or Ann Pollard (1) or Shirley Pyette (1) or Margaret Rylett (5) or Paula Neves (2) or Eric Single (1) or Synthia L. Smythe (1) or Robert M. Solomon (10) or Keith Symons (1) or Margaret Thomson (9) or Helene Wilkinson (3) or Colleen Tessier (2) .] www.ils.ca/arf
Municipal Alcohol Policy Bibliography. Toronto: Alcohol Policy Network. www.apolnet.org/resources/bib_map.html
Municipal Alcohol Policies Make Sense and Why Bother with a Municipal Alcohol Policy? in Alcohol Policy Update, A Newsletter of the Alcohol Policy Network, 2 (May/June) 1996. www.apolnet.org/resources/apnupdt.html
The Evolution of Municipal Alcohol Policy (Douglas, Rylett, Gliksman & Narbonne-Fortin) in Municipal World Magazine Online Feature. www.municipalworld.com/feature.htm
*Now the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
Please note: This bibliography was originally compiled in 1996 by Gabriella Dragos, Volunteer, CAMH Library. It was last updated in February 2000. Thank you to Ron Douglas, CAMH, for submitting other publications to include on this list.
Centre for Addiction and Mental Health,
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