On behalf of the many community partners involved in the Greater Kingston Area Safe & Sober Community Alliance, I applaud Principal Woolf for his commitment to moving forward immediately with the Coroner's recommendations following the deaths of two Queen's University students this past year.
Alcohol-related harm stemming from falls, alcohol poisoning, street parties, assaults, and drinking and driving will not go away until we collectively work towards changing the culture of drinking in our community and in our society through policies and supportive environments.
But how can we change the local alcohol environment? How do we begin this conversation as a community? Changing the local alcohol environment involves modifying factors that influence consumption. It is not a prohibitionist approach and it is does not target those who drink or sell alcohol responsibly. Instead it involves measures that can influence consumption and thereby reduce alcohol-related harm. There are several factors that increase the likelihood an individual will engage in risky alcohol use. These include:
- pricing and affordability,
- availability and accessibility,
- alcohol outlet density,
- alcohol advertising targeting specific populations (e.g. university/college students), and
- the normalization of heavy drinking.
In the current climate of alcohol deregulation in the province of Ontario, including further recent changes to the Liquor License Act to increase availability and accessibility of alcohol at festivals and events, there is a role for Public Health, the City of Kingston, and Queen’s University to advocate for alcohol policies that we know will have an impact on the health and safety of the community. As a society we are drinking more alcohol, and heavy drinking has become the norm. By working together we can change the conditions that promote heavy alcohol consumption, and prevent further tragedies in our community. Alcohol-related injuries and deaths are not “accidents”. Sadly, they are both predictable and preventable.
