July 2011 - Program Updates

Alcohol Policy Network

A report by the Alcohol Policy Network has recently been published in the McMaster University Medical Journal (www.mumj.org; www.apolnet.ca/resources/pubs/respapers/rsch_injury.html). Alcohol and Community-Based Violence: A Review of Evidence and Control Policies outlines six parameters which were found to connect alcohol consumption and community-based violence. These included: alcohol outlet density, alcohol retail sale hours, price of alcohol, alcohol sales, characteristics of violent bars, and alcohol-related violent injuries in Emergency Room departments.

The article recommends eight strategies to inform public health policies intended to reduce alcohol’s contribution to community-based violence. These strategies include increasing policing and enforcement, modifying the drinking context, implementing a violence management system, and supporting provincial strategies, among others (http://www.apolnet.ca/resources/
pubs/rpt_Alcohol_and_Violence-2010.pdf). 

This research was presented at The Ontario Public Health Convention in Toronto in April 2011 and was highlighted at the Canadian Public Health Association’s conference in Montreal in June 2011. 

The Healthy Communities Consortium

The Consortium, of which OPHA is a member, has just concluded its first quarter of webinar offerings. Nine webinars were held from April to June, with well over 600 participants attending! Throughout the summer, the Consortium will be putting the finishing touches on its rebranding campaign, which will be launched in September. Plans are also underway for the Fall/Winter webinar series as well as the fall conference. For more information about the Consortium, please visit www.hcconsortium.ca (English) or www.consortiumcs.ca (French).

Nutrition Resource Centre

The NRC is embarking on a strategic planning process for the next nine months.
Work will continue on our programming areas over this time, but not to the same capacity as has been provided in the past. In addition NRC will continue to provide expertise to support nutrition programming and policy development.

The Ontario Chronic Disease Prevention Alliance (OCDPA)

The OCDPA in collaboration with its partner organizations has launched the Make Ontario the Healthiest Province campaign. OCDPA issued a statement to Ontario’s political party leaders calling for the Ontario Government to take action and leadership and make Ontario the healthiest province. For more information please visit the Make Ontario the Healthiest Province’s campaign website at www.healthiestprovince.ca.