As Ontario expands booze sales, public health officials urge caution and stricter rules

Public health officials are pushing back on Ontario's expansion of alcohol sales, asking the province to consider instead upping taxes on booze, limiting availability and creating an education campaign about the dangers of drinking.

The concerns were raised as ready-to-drink cocktails and larger packs of beer became available at some grocery stores on Thursday as part of the Ford government's push to increase access to alcohol.

"We know that alcohol causes thousands of deaths every year and we know that alcohol harms both society and health," said Peter Heywood, a director with Southwestern Public Health, which led the charge at a recent Association of Local Public Health Agencies conference to push back on the province's expansion.

"The evidence shows that as alcohol becomes more available and more affordable, you'll see increases in domestic violence, street violence, you'll see an increase in chronic diseases, various forms of cancer, increases in road crashes, youth drinking, injuries and suicides."

Public health units are calling for the province to increase taxes on alcohol sales, as well as create education campaigns about the harms of drinking and strengthen advertising regulations. The goal is to limit availability to everyone, particularly young people, Heywood said.

"We want to reduce harms across the province," he said. "We're concerned about the potential harms and if we reduce those harms, thereby we reduce the burden to health and social systems."

Ontario accelerating plan to sell ready-to-drink beverages at grocery, convenience stores

5 months ago

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The Ontario government announced on Monday that it is accelerating plans to bring ready-to-drink cocktails and larger packs of beer into some supermarkets. This comes as some 9,000 unionized workers with the LCBO remain on strike.

Alcohol sales generate billions of dollars for the province, but create much harm that cost much more, Heywood said. "Alcohol is really the number one substance that causes the greatest harm in our province."

In the London and Middlesex County region in one year, alcohol contributed to 154 deaths, 842 hospitalizations and nearly 7,000 emergency room visits among people 15 years and older, according to numbers from Public Health Ontario.

In response to the calls from public health, a spokesperson from the Ontario government told CBC the province supports the "safe, responsible sale and consumption of alcohol in Ontario," by investing millions to support social responsibility and public health efforts, and mental health and addiction services. 

"Our responsible and balanced approach treats Ontario consumers like adults by giving them more choice and convenience," said Ministry of Finance Press Secretary Colin Blachar. 

Southwestern Public Health will now work with the health unit association to ask the province to create a comprehensive alcohol strategy, including public education campaigns, regulations on advertising, improvements to addiction treatment and support services and increasing alcohol taxes.

The association will also petition the federal government to either ban alcohol advertising or update the code that regulates advertising to include more restrictions on digital and social media.