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New report tells disturbing story of Nova Scotia’s culture of
alcohol
Wednesday, November 2, 2011- The Mayors of three Nova Scotia towns today released a report
that tells a disturbing story about the province’s culture of harmful alcohol
use.
In Our Words: What Alcohol Use Looks Like In Our Towns presents the results of in-depth discussions with
dozens of key informants – including police, addictions workers, educators,
judges, and municipal officials – about the impact alcohol has in Wolfville, Bridgewater and
Antigonish.
“From young children to
senior citizens, we learned that when it comes to alcohol harms, everyone
pays,” says Carroll Publicover, Mayor of Bridgewater.
“Our goal was to see if the
research on alcohol use holds true in our towns,” says Carl Chisholm, Mayor of
Antigonish. “We learned that it does – without a doubt.”
Nova Scotia Liquor
Commission sales have increased 56% over the last ten years. Meanwhile,
research suggests that per capita alcohol consumption has increased steadily
over the last decade. Nova Scotian men and women consistently drink more heavily
than their Canadian counterparts. Alcohol ranks second behind tobacco for burden of disease, and it is
widely known to contribute to trauma and social problems in high income
countries like Canada.
From
assault to domestic violence, binge drinking, risky sexual behaviour, emergency
room congestion, and property damage, the stories detailed in the report paint
a dark picture of alcohol-related harms on the ground in Nova Scotia.
In Our Words: What Alcohol Use Looks Like In Our Towns was an initiative spearheaded
by the Mayors and supported by their District Health Authorities and the
Department of Health and Wellness. The Municipal Alcohol Project grew out of a
2010 provincial forum that offered insight into the challenges that Nova
Scotians have with alcohol. Discussions inspired by the forum
clearly identified the need for municipal engagement in better understanding
and reducing alcohol’s harmful impacts.
The mayors of Wolville,
Antigonish and Bridgewatervolunteered
to put their towns under the microscope, agreeing to work together to document
alcohol-related problems and explore opportunities for municipal solutions.
“Talking
about the problem is an important first step,” says Robert
Stead, Mayor of Wolfville. “We hope this report proves to be
a springboard for further conversations and focused action on how we can reduce
the alcohol harms in our towns.”
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For
more information please contact:
Robert Stead, Mayor, Town of Wolfville 542-4008
Carl
Chisholm, Mayor, Town of Antigonish 867-0154
Carroll Publicover, Mayor of Bridgewater 521-5998
 Municipal Alcohol Report_Final (1.74 MB)
Municipal Alcohol Report_Wolfville (1.21 MB)
Municipal Alcohol Report_Antigonish (1.21 MB)
Municipal Alcohol Report_Bridgewater (1.2 MB)
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