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Selling Alcohol in Grocery Stores: Hidden Risks and Alternative Options
While this blog is from Ontario, many of the points are relevant here in BC, now that alcohol sales will soon be permitted in select grocery stores.
By Dr. Norman Giesbrecht, Senior Scientist Emeritus, Public Health and Regulatory Policy Section
In the last few days we have heard about plans to permit the sale of beer and wine in grocery stores in Ontario. For the most part, media reports have made no reference to potential health and safety risks associated with the proposed changes. You would have thought that the reporters were talking about changing the distribution of milk or orange juice in Ontario. What about the possible increase in alcohol-related incidents or negative impact on vulnerable populations — is that not relevant to the discussion?
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Evidence-based planning of alcohol and other drug treatment services in BC: A collaborative effort between CARBC and the Ministry of Health
As researchers, our ultimate goal is to provide evidence-based information that will go on to inform policy and practice. Recently, we were lucky enough to have the opportunity to do just that.
For 18 months, the Centre for Addictions Research of BC (CARBC) has been collaborating on a project with the BC Ministry of Health. The Ministry’s initiative was to create 500 substance-use treatment spaces throughout the province; however, they wanted to know where these spaces would be best utilized. Would it be in the more Northern communities where substance-use treatment is scarcer? Or would it be in more busy urban areas where demand for these services is higher? These were some questions that a small team here at CARBC, alongside some key individuals within the Ministry, sought to answer.
Read the rest of this post on our new blog site.
Authors:
Chantele Joordens and Scott Macdonald, Centre for Addictions Research of BC
Joanne MacMillan, Ministry of Health
Important notice – Our blog is moving!
Hello Matters of Substance subscribers,
You may have noticed our last couple posts have directed you to a new blog! We are in the process of overhauling our entire carbc.ca website, including the Matters of Substance blog. We’re just beginning to settle into our new home as part of the University of Victoria’s Online Academic Community. Our new blog address is http://oac.uvic.ca/carbc.
This also means we are switching over to a new email subscription system via Google Feedburner. If you are a current email subscriber to our blog, you will be receiving an email asking you to activate your subscription to the new system. We hope that you’ll re-confirm your subscription and continue to receive updates from us.
Thanks for taking the time to follow our blog. We are currently in the middle of our Treatment Systems series, and have a series on mental health and substance use planned for the near future.
Sincerely, the CARBC team
Drinking, Disease and Distance: Access and use of primary health care services for treatment of alcohol-attributed diseases in rural BC
Since the turn of the century, there has been a sharp decrease in the proportion of the population that resides in rural and remote British Columbia (BC) communities. In 2011, 86% of British Columbians (3,790,694) lived in urban areas, whereas only 14% of the population, or 609,363 persons, resided in rural communities. Although a much smaller proportion of the population lives in rural areas, these communities have disproportionately higher rates of alcohol consumption and alcohol-related hospitalizations than urban areas of BC, such as Vancouver and Richmond. These higher rates of alcohol-related harms, when combined with poor access to health care, can result in greater disease severity and increased rates of alcohol-related deaths. Although these challenges have existed for many decades, we still have an incomplete understanding of the barriers to obtaining addictions treatment services, which is important information that could be used to inform health care policy and resource allocation decisions throughout the province.
Read the rest of this post on our new site.
Author: Amanda K Slaunwhite, Collaborating Scientist, Centre for Addictions Research of BC; Post-Doctoral Fellow, University of New Brunswick.
Systems planning – like grocery shopping
When I entered the substance-use field as an outpatient counsellor many years ago, I thought my biggest challenge was to concentrate on what the client was trying to communicate to me as being their main issue. It turns out I was only partially correct in this assumption. In actuality, the biggest challenge was to make some sense of how funding and resource decisions were being made to support the development or growth of different services for the people we serve at the larger systems level…
Read the rest of this post on our new site.
Author: Sherry Mumford, Director, Substance Use services, Mental Health and Substance Use program, Fraser Health
Film-based Classroom Resource Lets Teens Open Up About Cannabis, Choices and Consequences
“The film encourages students to come to their own conclusions about marijuana use through showing a variety of situations rather than just ‘telling them how to think.”—Teacher
“….the video stimulates conversation because it is so powerful. So in all honesty the video did most of the work and I just kept the conversation going, changing its direction when needed and appropriate and prompting where I could.”—Substance use counselor
Teens need opportunities to talk openly and honestly about cannabis (marijuana). This is the thinking behind a new, award-winning classroom resource called CYCLES, developed by researchers at the UBC School of Nursing and based on studies involving youth in three BC communities.
Cycles is an educational resource to help engage young people in productive discussions around cannabis use.
The goal of CYCLES is to help engage young people in productive discussions involving decision-making and cannabis use. The resource features a locally produced short film (28 minutes) about two fictional high school students and their relationships with cannabis. There is also a facilitator’s guide containing lesson plans, teaching tips, student handouts, and quick facts about cannabis use. Together the classroom materials support self-reflection and dialogue about factors that can influence a teen’s choices to use—or not use—cannabis or any other drug.
Facilitators of the 50-minute module (or longer if a deeper discussion is desired) do not need to be drug experts. Their role is simply to guide a thoughtful class discussion, whether students are experienced with cannabis and its effects or not.
“Meaningful dialogue with young people about marijuana use can translate into informed decision-making,” say the resource’s creators. In other words, talking things out may make frequent users consider cutting down on how often they toke up, and it may delay or deter other students from trying cannabis in the first place.
A recent survey of BC students supports the call for open, non-judgmental conversations in schools about cannabis and other drugs. Teens who are able to discuss such issues with parents, teachers and other adults are more likely to make healthier decisions. Rates of substance use among students have been declining for a decade, says McCreary Centre Society’s 2013 Adolescent Health Survey. The vast majority of students in Grades 7 through 12 said they had never tried cannabis (74%), and many of those with experience reported waiting until they were at least 15 before first experimenting with the drug. Eight percent of students reported using cannabis on the weekend before the survey was taken, down from 12% in 2008.
“Judging young people for their choices regarding marijuana is not helpful,” reads a CYCLES footnote. “Rather, engaging in meaningful discussion contributes to healthy dialogue.”
For more information, check out the CYCLES resource on the CARBC website. While the CYCLES guide is currently published in English only, the video is available with French subtitles. Student worksheets will soon be available in French. A script of the video is also available.
Author: Nicole Bodner, Centre for Addictions Research of BC
**Please note that the material presented here does not necessarily imply endorsement or agreement by individuals at the Centre for Addictions Research of BC.
Supporting Change from the Inside
Brandon came into our Youth Probation office with the bravado of a Sopranos’ character. He had strong handsome features and he was highly athletic. He commanded a presence. Brandon was charged with trafficking cocaine and he was connected to a local gang. He was impeccably dressed and everything about him alluded to power and presence. Brandon didn’t use drugs; he just sold them, and he was working his way to becoming a true gangster.
This was not a typical case. Nor was it easy even though I was an experienced Probation Officer. I admit, I first tried the typical “strong arm” authoritarian approach. But Brandon defiantly opposed authority. About that time, I was introduced to a different approach. Youth Justice Services had been working with the Centre for Addictions Research of BC to develop a new resource. AME (which stands for awareness, motivation and engagement) uses the techniques of motivational interviewing (MI) to help young people explore what they want from life (rather than telling them what they need to do). After attending training in MI with Rob Axen, my approach with Brandon took a 180 degree turn. He began to trust me. He opened up more, and we had some amazing conversations. Finally, he was ready to look at changing his life.
Brandon started to talk about his dreams and his future. He disclosed that he wanted a wife and children. I quickly latched onto that prosocial cue and used it in most of our discussions as the carrot to his success. He quickly began to look at the pros and cons of staying in the drug business and how that might interfere with his dreams. He became more concerned about the potential dangers to his future family and how others would perceive him when he was with his children. Eventually Brandon’s “change talk” was centered on the reasons why he should not be a drug dealer.
The process of attempting to change his life was both dangerous and difficult for Brandon. It is not easy walking away from a gang and starting over. I helped Brandon build on his confidence as an athlete and a son and a big brother. He gained his strength and started to create a plan, working with his family who supported him. Brandon made a decision to leave the province and live in eastern Canada. He had other family who could support him there and his parents were willing to assist with finding an apartment. He made the move, found a place to live independently, and obtained a legitimate job.
I continued to supervise Brandon by phone in the final months of his order. Brandon went on to be successful in his life. He is in his mid-20s now and his mother continues to send me a Christmas card every year letting me know how well her son is doing. This change in Brandon did not happen overnight. It meant learning to change my own approach. It meant having access to new resources and training opportunities. All of this eventually helped Brandon see a new life. And me? I have been hooked on MI ever since.
Author: Karen Oddy, Kelowna Youth Probation
**Please note that the material presented here does not necessarily imply endorsement or agreement by individuals at the Centre for Addictions Research of BC.
Drug Ed for Parents – It’s about relationships, not facts, stats and scare tactics
Parenting is a lot like being on a road trip. It can be fun to experience new places with our growing child, but it can also be challenging. It doesn’t help that we live in a society that emphasizes the hazards and highlights stories of youth in serious trouble. News flash – young people in BC today are doing pretty well (see Adolescent Health Survey 2013).
As parents (or those who support them) we want to do our best to help our kids thrive in today’s world. That includes helping them learn about substance use. Many of us struggle with how best to approach topics like substance use with our kids. Here are some fundamentals that can help:
- Stay connected – more than anything, your child needs you! Show him (or her) you believe in him and support his interests. Foster a relationship that helps him, no matter what his age, talk about and share his thoughts and feelings.
- Talk when it makes sense – every child is different, so there is no “right time” to start the conversation about alcohol or other drug use. But engaging children earlier in open exchange about the things that touch their lives is a helpful way to help them address those things. (What doesn’t help? Lectures and threats.)
- Substance use is part of our culture – our children see people drinking around them, are exposed to advertising, hear about it in music etc. so this makes it an easy subject to bring up. Open-ended questions such as “what do you think about … ?” can be a useful way to start a conversation. Moving in to the teen years, you might ask questions like “When do you think you might be in a situation to use substances?” and “How do you think you would handle it?” Talking about alcohol or other drugs as they make choices on the path in to adulthood helps them to develop personal standards, minimize risks and critically assess popular assumptions about substance use.
- Recognize we all make mistakes – and use them as opportunities to learn and to have an honest, open conversation with them. If you discover your teen has been using alcohol or other drugs, stay calm. Yelling and issuing threats does not work. It is important to not let our concerns and fears destroy our relationship with our child. Wait for the right time to have a conversation and when it is start by expressing your own concern “I’m worried because …” or “I’m afraid because …” and listen more than talk so your teen can express their own feelings, making sure they know they are listened to.
- Be a positive role model – part of being a parent is modelling healthy behaviours and attitudes
- Safety first! Ensure that your teen knows how to contact you or another trusted adult to find a safe way home, regardless of the situation they find themselves in.
Looking for more?
The Road Ahead: A Guidebook for Parents of Young Teens. A handbook to help parents of young teens make their trip through the teen years a positive experience for both.
Guide to Talking About Alcohol or Other Drugs. Having honest, open conversations about alcohol or other drugs is a key way to protect our children from harm related to substance use.
Cannabis Use and Youth: A Parent’s Guide. This guide explores facts and misunderstandings about cannabis and helps parents find ways to engage their children in conversations about cannabis (or any other subject).
Here to Help Infosheets. These touch on a variety of topics that may be of interest.
Author: Cindy Andrew, Program Consultant, Helping Schools, Centre for Addictions Research of BC.
**Please note that the material presented here does not necessarily imply endorsement or agreement by individuals at the Centre for Addictions Research of BC.
Does Impaired Driving Reflect Impaired Learning?
If you’ve ever driven when really tired, or been in a car with a driver who’s really tired, you know what “impaired driving” feels or looks like. (For those who don’t: in a nutshell, it’s kind of scary.) Chances are, though, you don’t think of being tired as something bad. Instead, you know that being tired means you should be in bed, recuperating by sleeping for a while.
Drug-impaired driving is much the same thing. It’s less about whether a drug is good or bad, and more about where you are when you’re feeling a drug’s full effects. While avoiding intoxication may be the best option with any psychoactive drug, if it happens, the safest place to be enjoying or reversing the buzz is at home, at a pal’s house or in the back of a taxi or sober person’s vehicle. Almost anywhere but behind the wheel.
Even though we all know we shouldn’t drive impaired, it still happens.
- In 2012, 6.5% of BC drivers tested positive for alcohol, and 7.4% tested positive for other drugs, cannabis and cocaine being the most commonly detected substances, according to a roadside survey report.
- ICBC reports drug impairment (involving alcohol, illegal drugs and medications) was the key factor in 23% of fatal car crashes in 2013 (speed was key in 28%, and distraction in 29%).
- Over the last five years, an average of 86 people per year lost their lives in impaired driving crashes on BC roads.
So, what’s going on with us? What narratives are running through our heads about our rights and responsibilities as drivers? What are the best ways to change some of our beliefs and behaviours? These are the kinds of questions we not only need to be asking ourselves, but should also form the foundation of our drug education programs in schools.
Instead, most of the conversations we have with young people about drugs are not really conversations at all, but lectures aimed at scaring students into saying whatever the adults in the room want to hear. The problem with this approach is that it isn’t working. Young people, particularly young males, continue to make up the bulk of those taking unnecessary risks with substances and vehicles. We should be wondering why, and we should be talking to students more often about the things that drive their decisions to drive under the influence.
A screenshot from the drugsanddriving.ca website.
Honest, open and real conversation about alcohol and other drugs is one of the goals of Drugs and Driving, a project involving a range of classroom learning activities, a variety of web apps, and even a free iPhone app. Drugs and Driving is designed for Grade 10 students but can be used in other grades as well. The program is less about telling kids about the dangers of drugs and driving and more about helping them reflect on a range of issues related to impairment. What are the things that might cause impairment? How do I know if I am impaired? Why should I care? How do we make decisions? How can I influence the decisions of my peers? These are important questions for all of us.
Author: Nicole Bodner, Centre for Addictions Research of BC
**Please note that the material presented here does not necessarily imply endorsement or agreement by individuals at the Centre for Addictions Research of BC.
Matters of Substance 