Changing the Culture of Alcohol Use in Nova Scotia

1. Changing the Cultureof Alcohol Use in Nova Scotia An Alcohol Strategy to Prevent and Reduce the Burden of Alcohol-Related Harm in Nova Scotia Barbara Miles and Samantha Cukier March 27, 2008

2. Alcohol use is an accepted part of Nova Scotia culture and society. Why an Alcohol Strategy?

3. Responding to the Challenge • Problem Drinking identified (2001) • Funding a Provincial Focus (2003) • Alcohol Task Group • Alcohol Indicators Report • Best Practice Literature (Babor, 2003) • National Alcohol Strategy • Alcohol Roundtable (2006)

4. The harms and costs associated with alcohol use are often overlooked. Why an Alcohol Strategy?

5. Stakeholder Priorities • Alcohol as a public health issue • Lack of basic, balanced consumer information, inc. self-assessment • Balanced approach to alcohol policy • Routine screening and brief interventions • Engage/address specific target groups/behaviours behaviours of concern • Promote the variety of accessible services/options • Explore the scope of alcohol-related harm among diverse cultural groups and vulnerable populations.

6. The Cultural Shift • Denormalize underage drinking • Denormalize binge drinking & public intoxication • FASD as a community responsibility • Normalize help-seeking • New approaches to awareness and education • Increase focus on prevention and early intervention • A balanced approach to alcohol policy

7. Alcohol Strategy Vision Safe and healthy Nova Scotians supporting responsibility and risk reduction in alcohol use – a culture of moderation

8. Alcohol Strategy Goal Prevent and reduce alcohol-related acute and chronic health, social and economic harm and costs among individuals, families, and communities in Nova Scotia

9. The provincial alcohol strategy will attend to best practices and incorporate both population health approaches and targeted interventions aimed at the most harmful patterns and contexts of alcohol consumption Cultural change Approach

10. The Five Key Directions • Community Capacity and Partnership Building • Communication and Social Marketing • Strengthening Prevention, Early Intervention, and Treatment • Healthy Public Policy • Research and Evaluation

11. Community Capacity and Partnership Building • Increase the knowledge and skills of stakeholders to prevent and respond to alcohol-related harms • Build partnerships and capacity for multi-sectoral, coordinated, culturally relevant approach, reflecting a shared responsibility…

12. Community Capacity:Provincial Focus • District Alcohol Staff • Alcohol Forum • Media Training • Linking with other provincial strategies

13. Community Capacity:District Focus • Regional Alcohol Strategy Advisory Forum • Internal capacity-building • Community stakeholder linkages

14. Communication and Social Marketing • Alcohol as a critical public health and safety issue • Healthy, responsible, and safer decisions about alcohol use, and where to get help • Shape cultural norms to reduce acceptability of high-risk drinking practices

15. Communication and Social Marketing: Provincial Focus • Communication strategy to raise profile of alcohol issues • Low-risk drinking guidelines • Resources for high-risk groups & practices

16. District Advertising Communication and Social Marketing District Focus

17. Advocacy Writing Self-help – My Choice Communication and Social Marketing District Focus(Cont’d) http://www.cdha.nshealth.ca/default.aspx?page=86&news.Id.0=23290

18. Strengthening Prevention, Early Intervention, and Treatment • Developing brief intervention tools • Services when and where the client needs these • Prevent and /or delay the onset of alcohol use among youth • Address high-risk drinking behaviours and contexts

19. Strengthening Prevention, Early Intervention & Treatment: Provincial Focus • Brief Intervention • It’s Good Business Responsible Beverage Service Program

20. Strengthening Prevention, Early Intervention & Treatment: District Focus • MARC: Making Alcohol Related Changes • “How Not to Spoil the Fun” • Pilot - Brief Intervention in Provincial EHS Trauma Program

21. Healthy Public Policy • Reflect a balance among health protection and harm prevention, the health benefits of moderation, and the costs and benefits to the economy • Proven policies that prevent and reduce high-risk drinking practices and contexts • Reduce the impacts of drinking and driving • Culturally competent, evidence-based public policy initiatives at the local level

22. Healthy Public Policy:Provincial Focus • Alcohol Strategy Policy Advisory Committee • Alcohol policy in licensed establishments • Youth access to alcohol • Alcohol advertising

23. School-based policy Workplace policy Increasing capacity for policy work Healthy Public Policy:District Focus

24. Research and Evaluation • Facilitate access to and develop knowledge to inform policies, programs, and practices that will prevent and reduce alcohol-related harm. • Facilitate the transfer of knowledge to inform policies, programs, and practices for preventing and reducing alcohol-related harm. • Develop and implement an evaluation framework for the components of the Nova Scotia Alcohol Strategy.

25. Alcohol Indicators Report Best and most-promising practices Culture of Alcohol Use study Youth Context study Research and Evaluation:Provincial Focus

26. Research and Evaluation:District Focus • Scanning and dissemination • Research and best practice utilization • Input into provincial research projects

27. Outcomes • Short-term (1-3 years) • Intermediate (3-7 years) • Long-term (7-10 years)

28. Challenges and Opportunities • Readiness for cultural shift • Importance of the messenger(s) • Policy coherence • Building internal capacity for policy making • Evidence, evidence, evidence and its practical application