Is it really just all about me?

When you think about drinking alcohol, knowing your limit and staying in control should be top of mind.  Unfortunately for many, drinking to get drunk is the goal.  When looking at alcohol use and harm, it isn’t only the individual who is drinking that pays the price.  Too often the people around them, whether friends, family or innocent bystanders, bear the brunt of their overindulgence.  

Like smoking, there are second hand effects to drinking alcohol.  The Centre for Addictions Research of BC discusses this in a recent blog post entitled Harm to others: Is alcohol just a private matter?  They ask the question: “Would social norms around alcohol use change significantly if we started taking harms to others more seriously?” Something to think about. Check it out and let us know what you think.

The 9th Day of the 9th Month at 9:09 am

Every Sept 9^th Fetal Alcohol Awareness Day is observed to acknowledge Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) which is the leading known cause of preventable developmental disability among Canadians.

People from all around the world gather for events at this time, to raise awareness about the dangers of drinking alcohol during the 9 months of pregnancy.   They gather in various communities, countries and continents to bring attention to the significant dangers of alcohol use in pregnancy, with the hopes that increasing awareness will help prevent this serious disease.  They host educational events, conferences, workshops and breakfasts.   They hold media events, put up displays and posters, provide pamphlets and advertisements, and then at 9:09am all over the world they ring bells.   The ringing of the bells is known as the “FAS Bell Concordance” and is a symbol of a “magic minute “.  Bell ringing was chosen as a symbol of warning, as bells are historically associated with warnings and alarms.

The Kingston FASD Action Network, established in 2002, holds an annual breakfast on International FASD day including a guest speaker and the bell concordance.   The Kingston FASD Action Network states that until the last baby is born with FASD they will continue observing International FASD Day.  For more information on the Kingston FASD Action Network or the FASD Breakfast to be held on Monday September 9^th 2013 please contact:  fasdactionnet@gmail.ca.  

If you would like to learn more about the risks of alcohol use in pregnancy or are looking to help someone close to you, call:                                                                                                                  

Motherisk Alcohol and Substance Use Helpline at 1 877-327-4636.

Drunk History

Last month the web series “Drunk History” was launched as a new television series by Comedy Central.  This weekly, half-hour series features historical re-enactments that are narrated by drunk storytellers who struggle to tell the story. “Drunk History” is just one example of a recent, more overt trend in television drinking.  

“Drunk History” fans rave that the show is hilarious, and all in good fun. After all, who doesn’t enjoy a good laugh?  Unfortunately the normalization of heavy drinking in pop culture, whether on television, in movies, videos, or in popular song lyrics, is prevalent in today’s society.  This has created social and cultural norms that influence how much people drink, how they drink, and levels of alcohol-related harm. Too often those that are impacted the most by the normalization of heavy drinking are children, youth, and young adults.

In a study of young adult males, alcohol portrayal on television was shown to affect actual drinking behaviour, and a recent report on alcohol portrayal in the movies found youth who watched a lot of movies that featured alcohol were twice as likely to start drinking compared to their peers. So what’s the answer?  As a starting point we need to acknowledge that the normalization of heavy drinking in popular media plays a significant role in the culture of alcohol in society, on consumption patterns, and the level of alcohol-related harm that follows.  Only then will we be able to start changing the current culture and perhaps in doing so, re-write our own history.

Please Enjoy Responsibly

Just last week in my daily newspaper I found another glossy, 40 page magazine from the LCBO called “ON TAP: Beer at the LCBO”.  This well designed and appealing magazine does such a good job at marketing, that despite not being someone who enjoys drinking beer, I found myself contemplating a trip to one of our local outlets to see if even I could find a beer I like. 

Throughout the magazine there is an abundance of information about different types of beers, what kind of food goes well with each, and ways to help you “find a beer you’ll love”.  If you’d rather do your reading online go to www.lcbobeerworld.com and “Tap into the adventure”. 

This material is clearly promotional, and I get the fact that in order to make money you need to market the products you are selling.   But if you keep in mind that the role of the LCBO is liquor control rather than liquor promotion, would it be farfetched to suggest that the LCBO should at least put an equal amount of effort towards controlling as promoting?  On the very back page of the magazine, the LCBO asks everyone to “Please Enjoy Responsibly”.  Is that it?  What does that mean exactly?  I’m sure it means something different to everyone who reads it.

The glossy, high cost promotion of alcohol in the province of Ontario needs to be balanced with investments in “responsible” alcohol control policies.  The Government of Ontario should:

·       reduce the amount of LCBO branded marketing,

·       ensure that substantial, visible space is included in all LCBO print and online promotional materials to help educate the public about what responsible drinking is, e.g. include information on standard drink sizes next to product promotions, regularly incorporate guidelines for low risk drinking and the risk of alcohol and pregnancy,

·       invest in health promotion strategies, programs and services to help reduce the harms related to alcohol use, and

·       support an Alcohol Strategy for the province that coordinates existing and new alcohol control policies including policies on pricing, availability and advertising.

These steps would increase awareness of what “Please enjoy responsibly” really means, and demonstrate to all Ontarians that the Government of Ontario and the LCBO are serious about minimizing alcohol related harms and costs in the province, and are willing to work together to help build a culture where alcohol is only a part of our good times.   

 

Happy Summer Everyone!

Taking a break - we will be back in August.