June 2010 - Hot Topic

A Culture of Extended Drinking

Beginning in June, restaurants and bars will be popular destinations as thousands of fans root for their home country in the FIFA World Cup of Soccer. Due to a recent decision by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO), a commission accountable to Ontario’s Ministry of Consumer Services, soccer fans will be able to drink alcohol at 10:00 a.m. — an hour earlier than the provincially legislated drinking time of 11:00 a.m. This change came in an announcement by Premier McGuinty on May 30th and is detailed in the AGCO’s Temporary Extension of Hours for 2010 FIFA World Cup Questions and Answers [PDF].

This change seems to have made The Canadian Restaurant and Foodservices Association (CRFA) quite pleased, as seen through the media release directed to the Minister of Consumer Services Sophia Aggelonitis. The CRFA is grateful that they can respond to their customers’ “need” to consume alcohol earlier in the morning.

Others in the province have taken a broader look at the issue. The online version of Guelph's newspaper, GuelphMercury.com asks: “Do we need to import a happy hour because of the World Cup to better enjoy it? That says something sad if we do. It sounds like an excuse to drink more – an interesting thing for civic and provincial politicians to endorse.”

Other provinces have relaxed their alcohol rules as well. During the World Cup, Manitoba begins pouring pints at 9:00 a.m. Alberta: as early as 8:00 a.m. To its credit, the province of Nova Scotia has not relaxed its rules during the World Cup, despite pressure to do so.

Although the changes of alcohol service are subtle, they come with consequences. Increased alcohol availability goes hand-in-hand with increased consumption of alcohol and resulting increases in alcohol-related problems. The risk of injury such as impaired driving, drowning, falls, fires, suicide, homicide, sexual assault, and other violence has been readily linked to alcohol consumption (Solomon et al., 2009, World Health Organization, 2007).

So why the change?

As stated by the AGCO [PDF]: “Given the very high level of interest in the World Cup and the unique circumstances of this event, the Registrar is satisfied that there are no additional public safety concerns.”

Interesting that research in our own province contradicts this claim. In a recent Letter to the Editor issued to major newspapers, OPHA President Liz Haugh drew attention to an increase in alcohol service hours which took place in 1996. This slight increase in service of 1 hour led to an immediate and significant increase in non-motor vehicle crash injuries (Vingilis et al., 2008). “Although this ‘one-time allowance’ appears minor, we need to look longer term at the possible slippery slope it creates,” urges Haugh.

The slope appears to be getting quite slippery quite quickly. Mike Williams, General Manager of the cities economic development committee, has recently proposed that the drinking hours be lifted during the Nuit Blanche Arts Festival in Toronto. This proposal requests that certain establishments in specified zones can offer all-night dinning and beverage service. A report outlining the details was reviewed by city council on June 1st and results of this decision are still pending.

As alcohol control measures appear to be sliding, it is important for regional health units to note that “a municipality may indicate to the AGCO that it objects to the extension of hours. A notification (i.e., letter from the Municipal Clerk) may be submitted to the Registrar. Any such objections will be respected and the extension of hours will not apply in these municipalities.” (Source: Alcohol Gaming Commission of Ontario [PDF])

 

Two Important Reports Released by Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer of Health

  1. The Potential Health Impact of Wind Turbines:  In addition to reducing our demand for energy, we must find alternatives to the use of fossil fuels for our energy source. The Chief Medical Officer of Health for Ontario has recently released a report summarizing the findings about the health effects of wind turbines synthesized by a technical working group comprised of staff of the Ontario Agency for Health Protection and Promotion, Ministry of Health and Long-term Care, and several Medical Officers of Health from health units across Ontario. >>Learn More

  2. The H1N1 Pandemic: How Ontario Fared: In her report, Dr Arlene King shares her impressions about the public health response to the H1N1 pandemic and indicates that a more detailed review of the public health response will be forthcoming. Three areas went well. >>Learn More