Cape Breton considers policy to reduce alcohol consumption around sports

A proposed policy in Cape Breton is aiming to reduce alcohol consumption at sporting events.

A draft of the Municipal Alcohol Policy being considered by Cape Breton Regional Council recommends limiting advertising by alcohol companies at events with children, preventing such companies from buying the naming rights to municipally-owned buildings and limiting public drinking at sports games.

The combination of drinking and playing sports is supported by a "culture of acceptance," Cape Breton Regional Police Chief Peter McIsaac said at Thursday's regional council meeting.

"We just think it's natural behavior where hockey leagues have now become known as beer leagues — Well, they're recreational hockey leagues," said McIsaac, who's also a co-chairperson of a municipal alcohol working group.

"I think the point of balance has shifted and I think it's time to take it back."

The policy being proposed should help change a culture of binge drinking, working group co-chairperson Sam Hodder said. 

'Is this really normal that my 14 or 15-year-old is drinking in the basement?'

People in Nova Scotia on average start drinking at age 13, she said.

"There is a lot of prevention programming that is happening right now within the schools. This piece, in terms of having policy option is another piece of the pie in terms of making the change," said Hodder, who is the manager of health promotion and prevention with mental health and addiction services with the Nova Scotia Health Authority.

"People having that 'aha moment' to be able to say, 'Is this really something that should be normalized? Is this really normal that my 14 or 15-year-old is drinking in the basement?'"

The draft is being considered by the general committee. Advocates for the policy hope it will be in place in 2016.