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POSITION:
Public Health has an important mandate in key areas related to the use of alcohol and other drugs, including activities in chronic disease prevention, injury prevention, substance abuse prevention and harm reduction. Comprehensive strategies to address the potential harms of substance use can only succeed through a combination of interventions: education, prevention, harm reduction, treatment and enforcement.
ACTIVE RESOLUTIONS:
#A07-6, Advocate for a Provincial Strategy to Address Substance Use
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Recent Developments |
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#A07-6, Advocate for a Provincial Strategy to Address Substance Use
THAT the Association of Local Public Health Agencies request that the provincial government develop a comprehensive provincial strategy for alcohol and other drugs based on the four components of prevention, harm reduction, treatment and enforcement, in collaboration with the Ontario Health Education and Enforcement Partnership (HEP) initiative |
October 31, 2007
Letter written to the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care introducing this and several other resolutions passed at the 2007 alPHa AGM. Please click here to read.
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CLOSED RESOLUTIONS #A01-16, Fetal Alcohol Effects/Syndrome Prevention
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Recent Developments |
| #A01-16, Fetal Alcohol Effects/Syndrome Prevention |
February 1 2007 Resolution closed by alPHa's Board of Directors, following a recommendation by alPHa's Advocacy Committee that alPHa continue to adocate for other strategies that are aimed at reducing FAS incidence.
April 11, 2005 The federal Standing Committee on Health recommends in their report that Bill C-206, An Act to amend the Food and Drugs Act (warning labels regarding the consumption of alcohol), not proceed any further, based on conclusions that established, targeted programs for FAS prevention were more effective, and that the significant cost of implementing labeling requirements would far outweigh their benefits and divert resources away from those programs.
March 14, 2005 Dr. David McKeown (MOH-Toronto) has written to the Standing Committee on Health (House of Commons) to support Bill C-206 - an act to amend the Food and Drug Act with respect to warning labels regarding alcohol consumption. Please click here to read.
February 9, 2005 2nd Reading of the federal Bill C-206, An Act to amend the Food and Drugs Act (warning labels regarding the consumption of alcohol).
October 13, 2004 1st Reading of the federal Bill C-206, An Act to amend the Food and Drugs Act (warning labels regarding the consumption of alcohol).
June 24, 2004 Royal assent given to Bill 43 - Liquor License Act amended. This Act requires that in order to maintan a provincial liquor license, you must display signage in your facility cautioning pregnant women that the consumption of alcohol during pregnency is the cause of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder
March 29, 2004 Ist Reading of Private Member's Bill 43 (Ernie Parsons, MPP, Prince Edward-Hastings), An Act to Amend the Liquor License Act.
January 8, 2003 Received a response from Health Minister Anne McLellan indicating that under Private Member's Motion 155, her officials have considered the advisability of labelling, and have found that these types of labels appear to have little influence on the highest risk groups. It is still being considered as part of a wider strategy.
Notes:
- Durham Region Health & Social Services sent a letter to Prime Minister Jean Chretien on June 14, 2001 advocating for the above-described label.
- Let it be noted that both the federal and provincial legislative initiatives have been described in our 'Recent Developments' section despite Resolution #A01-16, Fetal Alcohol Effects/Syndrome Prevention implicating only the federal government. The The federal government regulates labelling of products under the Food and Drugs Act (e.g. the requested warnings about the health hazards of consuming alcohol while pregnant pasted to your bottle of Creemore - Bill c-206) and the provincial government regulates the requirements of maintaining a liquor license (e.g. the now-required warnings about the health hazards of consuming alcohol while pregnant pasted to the mirror in the bathroom- Bill 43).
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