Alcohol Policy Update

A Bi-Monthly Newsletter of the Alcohol Policy Network
Feel free to copy & distribute
Vol. 10 Nov./Dec. 1997

Alcohol Policy: A Year in Review

Year-end is usually a time of reflection and priority-setting. In the spirit of the season, here's a review of trends that emerged over the past twelve months:

In 1995, the Alcohol Policy Network brought together a diverse group of experts from across the province to track developments in alcohol policy. The results were published in the premier issue of Priorities, a bi-annual summary of trends and policy issues distributed widely across the province.

Although Priorities has been out since November '96, many of its recommendations continue to have relevance, including those that call for: 1) the maintenance of a regulatory framework for alcohol sales and service that protects and promotes the health of all Ontarians; 2) more effective enforcement of laws, regulations and policies that promote moderation and prevent injury; and 3) stronger public interest provisions in liquor licensing, more consultation with local communities around proposed regulatory changes and other measures that enable individuals and communities to better respond to local alcohol-related concerns.

To order a copy of Priorities or for more information, email us at apn@opha.on.ca or call 416-367-3313 ext. 23.

Alcohol Policy Round Up I

Privatization by other means...

After testing the waters three times since 1995, MCCR Minister David Tsubouchi finally took the plunge on December 7 and lifted a ban on year-round Sunday liquor sales at 594 LCBO outlets, 99 agency stores (enclosed kiosks within various types of stores, in communities too small to support a full-fledged liquor store) and 428 beer stores across the province. The issue was among the first order of business for councils fresh from municipal elections and, in the end, only Guelph, Hamilton and 21 other, mostly smaller communities, vetoed Sunday openings beyond the Christmas season. It is anticipated that 562 LCBO and over 100 beer stores will join 350 privately-operated winery, brewery and distillery stores and 10,000 licensed establishments already open 7 days a week. Meanwhile, rumours of government efforts to quietly privatize parts of the province's alcohol monopoly continue to swirl. On November 21, the Ontario Liquor Board Employees Union (OLBEU) issued a press release alleging that MCCR Minister David Tsubouchi will soon be considering a report proposing the introduction of alcohol products in food outlets, particularly in larger markets like Toronto, Ottawa and London, and the replacement of smaller LCBO outlets with agency stores and privately-owned franchise shops. The LCBO maintains that the union is overreacting, while MCCR insists that coming up with viable options to modernize and increase the efficiency of Ontario's liquor warehousing, distribution and retail system is consulting firm Arthur Anderson's main priority. For more info call Chris Layton, LCBO, 416-864-6772; Heino Nielson, OLBEU, 905-712-2912 or Maurice Simms, MCCR Communications, 416-326-8535.

Municipal powers curtailed

As of November 15, municipalities no longer had the option to unilaterally attach conditions on the sale and service of alcohol to local business licences. A new amendment to Ontario Regulation 27/96 quietly filed by the Ministry of Municipal Affairs on October 28, explicitly states that "a local municipality does not have the power under Part XVII.1 of the [Municipal] Act to impose any condition with respect to the sale or service of liquor, as defined in the Liquor Licence Act, as a requirement of obtaining, continuing or renewing a licence issued by the municipality." Ontario regulation 379/97 reinforces the province's — and the Alcohol & Gaming Commission's — exclusive jurisdiction over alcohol regulation and closes a loophole used by the City of Windsor to force local licensed establishments to take a refresher course in responsible alcohol service. According to Windsor city clerk, Thomas Lynd, this creates challenges for local communities where irresponsible service practices have been accompanied by increases in alcohol-related fights, property damage and other problems. While the fate of the server refresher course developed by the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit remains uncertain, collaboration with local establishments, residents and enforcement agencies to curb liquor licensing problems will continue, adds Lynd. For more info on Regulation 379/97, call Municipal Affairs Policy Advisor Margaret Wood, 416-585-7262. For details on the Windsor initiatives call Tom Lynd, 519-255-6211.

Wets v. Drys

Under the Ontario Liquor Licence Act, communities have the option of banning liquor sales within their boundaries provided that 60% of voters favour such a move in a municipal plebiscite. As of November 1, there were approximately 64 "dry" and 72 "damp" (no hard liquor) communities across Ontario, many of them that way since Prohibition. In recent years, these municipalities or, in some cases, neighbourhoods, have come under pressure to relax restrictions on alcohol sales and on November 10, nine took the issue to the ballot box. The results were decidedly mixed: 2 voted to lift a ban on alcohol in bars and restaurants, 1 decided to outlaw retail liquor sales, 2 voted to remain damp, 2 have yet to report and 2 others — neighbouring west Toronto communities known as the Junction — are locked in a fierce battle likely to last months. Here, the drys won the fight in ward 21 but lost by a 2 vote margin in ward 19 next door. Preserving West End Neighbourhoods (PWEN), the group championing the dry vote, has asked for a recount and may challenge the legality of the plebiscite in court. Working for Equal Treatment (WET) is hopeful that the results of the vote will stand. In a related story, members of a St. Thomas council committee voted on December 15 to solicit tenders for alcoholic beverage and other refreshment concessions at the Douglas J. Tarry ballplex and in the Memorial Arena East room in a bid to raise money for the municipality. The initiative, strongly opposed by the Elgin-St. Thomas Public Health Department and several aldermen concerned about the impact of alcohol sales on youth using city facilities, will be considered at a full meeting of council on January 5. For more info call Jim Moore, 519-631-1680 ext. 140 or Rose Bujnowski, Substance Abuse Consultant, 519-631-9900 ext. 251. For details on the Junction plebiscite call PWEN, 416-767-6129 or WET, 416-249-1670. For a background on damp and dry communities call Syd Girling, LLBO Manager of Policy and Communications, 416-326-0375.

Alcohol Policy Round Up II

"Got any local alcohol policy news you'd like to share? E-mail, fax or mail us the info and we'll get the word out."

Alcohol advertising making news

Alcohol advertising — and counter-advertising — have been hot news lately. First it was the controversial promotion of Molson's new low-alcohol beer, Diamond Mild Lager. The company's November 24 press release includes the following quote by TIRF president Herb Simpson: "Two-point-five per cent beer produces relatively low blood alcohol concentrations, even with moderate consumption. This has potentially important traffic safety benefits. For example, if a 175 pound male consumed four 2.5% alcohol beers over two hours, his BAC would be about 17 mg%." Adds the press release: "According to TIRF this is well below the level of 50 mg% that can result in a 12 hour license suspension under the Ontario Highway Traffic Safety Act and substantially below the level of 80 mg% that can lead to a Criminal Code conviction. It is also considerably lower than would occur from drinking regular five per cent alcohol beer." The apparent contradiction of the "if you drink, don't drive" message prompted numerous complaints. Molson has since circulated a letter of clarification to concerned community groups, although a number are continuing to press for a more formal public apology. Then there was the Association of Canadian Distillers' campaign to persuade Ministry of Transportation to withdraw vanity licence plates with the Don't Drink and Drive Martini glass logo. According to ACD, the visual unfairly singles out spirits and fails to communicate that 1.5 ounces of spirits at 40% alcohol by volume contain the same amount of alcohol as 5 ounces of wine at 12% alcohol/volume and 12 ounces of beer at 5% alcohol/volume. No word yet on MTO's decision, although many in public health and the anti-drinking and driving movement have long supported the equivalency message. Finally, the Brewers Association of Canada announced the launch of the first TV ad in the multimillion dollar Stand Up, Speak Out, Be Heard! campaign to educate young Canadians about responsible drinking. The ad, which features a series of scenes showing the consequences of risky drinking and Joe Cocker's party anthem, Feeling Alright, began airing across the country on December 15. For details contact the Brewers Association of Canada, 613-232-9601. For info on the "a drink, is a drink, is drink" campaign call ACD Vice-President, Rowland Dunning, 416-780-1882. For more info on the Diamond Mild Lager promotion, call Molson Vice-President John Hay, 416-512-3861. To view a report detailing the efforts of broadcasters to educate the public on alcohol issues in the year since the CRTC shifted responsibility for monitoring alcohol advertising on radio and TV to the Canadian Advertising Foundation, visit the web site of the Canadian Association of Broadcasters, http://www.magma.ca/~cab/.

Low-risk drinking campaign underway

On October 29, the ARF, ALPHA and OPHA held a joint press conference to launch Ontario's new low-risk drinking guidelines (LRDG). The campaign was widely reported by the electronic and print media and it is hoped that local health units will support further dissemination of the guidelines to health professionals, media contacts and the general public. As of December 19, twenty-eight health units had ordered over 6,500 brochures and 325 posters for staff and board of health training and orientation, community displays and presentations, and seasonal media campaigns. A number are also sending targeted mailings to local pharmacists, dieticians, physicians, police, hospital and community health centre and social service contacts and community coalition members. A formal evaluation of LRDG dissemination efforts is planned for the new year. To order additional brochures or posters explaining the guidelines, call ARF Marketing Services, 1-800-595-6111. For assistance on disseminating the guidelines locally, call Paula Neves, 1-800-267-6817 ext. 27.

'Tis the season...not to drink and drive

On November 17, Statistics Canada released its latest figures on impaired driving. According to Update on Impaired Driving in Canada 1996, police across Canada charged 78,894 persons with impaired driving offences, down 6% from 1995. Alcohol was a factor in one-third of all driver fatalities nationally that year; making it the leading cause of death among teens aged 15-19 and the second leading cause of death among those aged 20-44. In 1996, Ontario had the second lowest rate of impaired driving among Canadian provinces, while Toronto had the lowest rate among the largest census metro-politan areas. Highlights of the study are available on the StatsCan web site at www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/971117. Meanwhile, preliminary OPP statistics show increases over last year in the number of vehicles checked (194,928 in 1997 vs. 169,581 in 1996), impaired driving charges (280 vs. 242) and 12-hour license suspensions (646 vs. 486) during the first two weeks of R.I.D.E.'s seasonal 5-week campaign. These figures led Solicitor General Bob Runciman to wonder if jailing first time offenders would be an effective deterrent, an idea fast vetoed by those familiar with the latest research on the hard core drinking driver. For a copy of a newly released user-friendly pamphlet on the subject call the Traffic Injury Research Foundation, 613-238-5235. For more info on ways to crack down on drinking and driving, including recent efforts to lower the legal BAC to .05, contact MADD Canada, 1-800-665-MADD. For the latest R.I.D.E. stats call the OPP, 705-329-6130.

News & Views

Conferences & Workshops

On February 24 & 25, 1998 ARAPO, ARF, the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit and the Alcohol Policy Network will host a forum on alcohol policy and liquor licensing in Windsor. The event will feature an evening with renowned alcohol liability expert, University of Western Ontario Law Professor Robert Solomon, followed the next day by interactive panel presentations on liquor licensing and the role of municipalities in dealing with alcohol-related problems. The event is targeted to hospitality industry representatives and professionals and community groups active in public health and safety across Southwestern Ontario. To register, call Paula Neves, 1-800-267-6817 ext. 27, Email: apn@opha.on.ca.

The Alcohol-related Birth Defects Conference will take place on March 27-28, 1998 at the Ramada Inn in Sault Ste. Marie. Among the confirmed speakers are Motherrisk Program Director, Dr. Gideon Korn; UBC professor Dr. Christine Loock and West Virginia School of Medicine professor Dr. Calvin Sumner. The conference is sponsored by the Algoma District Alcohol-related Birth Defects Committee, ARF, Breton House, Community Living Algoma and Algoma Best Start. The $25 registration fee includes refreshments, lunch, Andrew's Story Kit and other conference material. For a registration form or more info, contact Karen at 705-256-7872, Fax: 705-256-2850.

Alcohol Policy XI: Common Goal, Common Challenges: Creating Alcohol-Safe Communities Through Alcohol Policies will take place May 10-13, 1998 in Chicago, Illinois. The international conference sponsored by the American Medical Association, is designed to attract policy-makers and community coalitions interested in alcohol policy initiatives, medical professionals, policy researchers and scientists. It is organized around alcohol taxes, promotion, location and conditions of sale; drinking and driving and other key policy areas articulated in Griffith Edwards et al.'s seminal work, Alcohol Policy and the Public Good (1994). To receive a conference brochure, contact the AMA, Tel: 312-464-4168, Email: APCXI@ama-assn.org.

Useful Resources

On December 9, the ARF released the latest Ontario Student Drug Use Survey. The good news: the percentage of licensed young drivers reporting driving within an hour of consuming two or more drinks declined from 24% in 1995 to 16% in 1997, the lowest rate in a decade. The bad news: during the same period, the proportion of binge drinkers—those consuming 5 or more drinks on a single occasion during the four weeks prior to the study—rose from 35% to 41%. A limited number of copies of the study will be distributed free of charge. Additional copies will be sold for $12 plus postage and handling. To order, call ARF Marketing Services, 1-800-661-1111. For additional info, contact study co-author Ed Adlaf, Tel: 416-595-6925; Email: eadlaf@arf.org.

APN News

The APN Coordinating Committee is pleased to welcome three new members: P.C. James Murtland is the Coordinator of Peel Regional Police's Last Drink Program; Bev Toye is a retired teacher and current board member of Ontario Students Against Impaired Driving; Luba Magdenko is a consultant with the Health Communication Unit at the Centre for Health Promotion. Our thanks to outgoing members Donwood Medical Services Director Bonnie Madonik, Concerns Canada President Karl Burden and OSAID regional representative Althea Mackoon for their contribution to APN and to the field. From all of us to all of you: A happy, healthy and safe 1998!

Please note: Information appearing in this newsletter in no way constitutes an endorsement by OPHA or its members. Printing of submissions is subject to space availability. Future editions of Alcohol Policy Update will be published via fax only. Hard copies may be subject to a fee. To ensure your name remains on our mailing list, please send us an Alcohol Policy Network Member/Supporter Application Form.