Priorities 2006, developments in alcohol policy since 1996

PRIORITIES 2006: Developments in alcohol policy since 1996 was then produced in collaboration with the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health and the Ontario Public Health Association with the goals of: • informing community groups, policymakers and others about the public health and safety impacts of various alcohol policies; • providing a public mechanism by which policy development and implemen [...] Ontario regulation 379/97 reinforces the province’s -- and the Alcohol and Gaming Commission’s -- exclusive jurisdiction over alcohol regulation and closes a loophole in the Municipal Act that was used by the City of Windsor to force local licensed establishments to take a refresher course in responsible alcohol service. [...] In a bid to reduce the risks associated with alcohol and other drug use, it also includes as objectives to reduce the proportion of adult Ontarians who consume more than two drinks per day by 20% and to achieve a similar reduction over the coming decade in the rate of Ontarians who use illicit, non-medicinal and psychoactive substances. [...] The curriculum requires Grade 10 students to know the factors that lead to substance dependence; the physiological and sociological effects of substance use; and the legal aspects of substance use and abuse (e.g., underage drinking, impaired driving, the Tobacco Control Act). [...] The announcement is part of the federal government’s commitment to health promotion and the prevention of health problems that will pay long-term dividends in both the quality of life of Canadians and reduced pressure on the health care system.