February 2010 - Program Updates

Alcohol Policy Network

Alcohol is one of the most widely available psychoactive drugs. While it is associated with violent behaviour, the link between the two is not entirely clear. Both alcohol use and violence share some common physiological, social and economic variables. This association highlights the need to gain a better understanding on the contributing factors associated with alcohol-related violence.

This year, the Alcohol Policy Network focused their research on the widely concerning trend in North American culture: the growing link between alcohol and violence.

In recent years, numerous stakeholders in public policy have had to acknowledge the challenge of balancing the legality of alcohol with a most unfavourable outcome: violent episodes. It should come as no surprise that those with an investment in social good have had to break their respective silos in an effort to understand this new trend. For example, the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) has led forums on Nightlife, Drinking and Violence that aimed to inform the various partners of new research, trends, laws practices, and management techniques to quell the challenge.

In their most recent research report, Alcohol and Community-based Violence: A Systematic Review, APN proposed to identify the associated effects of alcohol sales on community-based violence as explained in the existing literature. The authors used articles from 1999 – 2009 and focused their research on alcohol sales and community based violence. They also reviewed links of violence and alcohol as they relate to over 12 different variables. The report breaks down each variable as it presents its own unique challenge to policy professionals.

Finally, the authors discuss six different possible strategies that emerge from a healthy public policy context, which include prevention, treatment, harm reduction and enforcement coupled with concepts introduced in the Ottawa Charter, such as building healthy public policy, and strengthening community action / engaging in community mobilization.

 

Alcohol Policy Network's Annual Forum

The 7th annual Alcohol: No Ordinary Commodity Forum will be held on Tuesday, March 2, 2010 at the North York Memorial Hall in Toronto. The theme this year: Alcohol Policy: Time to Act! Current Research, Policy, and Practical Applications to Address Alcohol-related Harm.

We are honoured to have our Keynote Address delivered by Dr. Thomas Babor, University of Connecticut School of Medicine and lead author and principle investigator of the landmark book “Alcohol: No Ordinary Commodity – Research and Public Policy.”

Confirmed speakers include: Denise DePape, Director, Alcohol Harm Reduction, Ministry of Healthy Living and Sport, B.C.; Nancy Langdon, Program Development Officer, Ottawa Public Health; Andrew Murie, CEO, MADD Canada; Dr. Norman Giesbrecht, Senior Scientist, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health; Penny Nelligan, Director, Standards, Programs & Community Development for the Ontario Ministry of Health Promotion; Susan Shepherd, Manager, Toronto Drug Strategy Secretariat, Toronto Public Health; and Victoria van Gilst, Health Promoter, Substance Misuse Prevention, Niagara Region Public Health.

Please note: the Ontario Injury Prevention Resource Centre (OIPRC) will also be holding an Injury Prevention Forum on Seniors Falls Prevention at the same venue on the next day, Wednesday, March 3, 2010. If you would like more information on their event, please visit their website. By attending both Forums you save over $40.