- Continue to require that food is made available at all events on municipal property that also serve alcohol (i.e. do not permit alcohol-only events) (OPHA, 2019), as indicated in the current MAP.
- Prohibit the mixing of alcohol and edible cannabis (including cannabis beverages) by event staff and discourage mixing by patrons as this may increase impairment and increase consumption of alcohol (OPHA, 2019).
- Provide on-site education with signage for the responsible use of alcohol, in addition to the Sandy's Law signage requirement.
The WECHU is available for further consultation on municipal alcohol policies, and the application and enforcement of the Smoke Free Ontario Act, 2017 in relation to the expansion of patios and outdoor dining areas.
Thank you,
Theresa Marentette, RN, MSc, Chief Executive Officer, Chief Nursing Officer Windsor Essex County Health Unit 1005 Ouellette Avenue, Windsor, N9A 4J8 Ph. 519-258-2146 ext. 1475 Fx. 519-258-6003 tmarentette@wechu.org
References
1. Canadian Institute for Health Information. Alcohol Harm in Canada: Examining Hospitalizations Entirely Caused by Alcohol and Strategies to Reduce Alcohol Harm. Ottawa, ON: CIHI; 2017. Retrieved from cihi.ca/sites/default/files/document/report-alcohol-hospitalizations-en-web.pdf
2. Liem, S. (2018). Alcohol policy review: Opportunities for Ontario municipalities. Retrieved from opha.on.ca/getmedia/4e8f860f-6e34-4036-9fa6-a1311a35852e/Alcohol-Policy-Review-Full-Report-Final.pdf.aspx
3. OPHA. (2019). Managing alcohol at events on municipal property. Retrieved from opha.on.ca/getattachment/Advocacy-and-Policy/Issues/Managing-Alcohol-at-Events-on-Municipal-Property-FINAL-Report-Nov-26.pdf.aspx
4. Stockwell, T., Wettlaufer, A., Vallance, K., Chow, C., Giesbrecht, N., April, N., Asbridge, M., Callaghan, R.C., Cukier, S., Davis-Macnevin, P., Dube, M., Hynes, G., Mann, R., Solomon, R., Thomas, G. & Thompson, K. (2019). Strategies to Reduce Alcohol-Related Harms and Costs in Canada: A Review of Provincial and Territorial Policies. Victoria, BC: Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research, University of Victoria.
5. The Windsor-Essex County Health Unit. (2019). Community needs assessment 2019 update report. Retrieved from wechu.org/reports/community-needs-assessment-2019-update-report?mc_cid=5c232302de&mc_eid=c8538d7a87