The B.C. government expect to offset an increase in drinking caused by the implementation of the 2013 liquor policy review by introducing minimum prices starting May, 1.
The review called for more convenience and accessibility of alcohol. The government will allow the sale of alcohol in grocery stores and allow people to order alcohol from home. There is also the introduction of more happy hours and more wine tasting venues.
To counterbalance the effects of these recommendations, B.C. government will introduce minimum price in order to ensure that liquor with very low wholesale costs is not sold at prices that may encourage the abuse or overconsumption of alcohol.
“The impact of availability [of alcohol] on the population health should be offset by the implementation of recommended and accepted pricing measures,” according to a briefing note from the ministry of health obtained through access to information request.
From May 1, bars or restaurants will not be allowed to sell a 1 oz. of spirit, 5 oz. a glass of wine or 12 oz. sleeve of beer under three dollars.
Nicole Beneteau, Public Affairs Officer at the B.C. Ministry of Health, said the three dollars minimum price is consistent with levels recommended by health advocates and it is a middle ground between what alcohol industry groups recommended during the consultations on this change.
“As government modernizes liquor laws in B.C., it aims for a balance between increasing convenience and continuing to protect health and safety,” she said.
The government is also considering programs to help young people make informed choices about drinking. Alcohol Sense is a comprehensive suite of online resources aimed at providing parents with tools to guide and educate their children to make healthy decisions about alcohol through critical thinking and conversation.
There is also Healthy Minds/Healthy Campuses; a program that connects B.C.’s post-secondary campuses, with the goals of collaboratively promoting good mental health, reducing harmful substance use and improving supports for those who experience problems.
Despite these initiatives, some health advocates worry that when alcohol becomes more physically available; there is a high risk of over consumption.
Scott Macdonald, Assistant Director for Centre for Addictions Research at the University of Victoria, said that from the last 15 years when B.C. government started to grant wholesale licences to private businesses and extending hours of operations, there was an increase in drinking alcohol.
B.C. Alcohol and other Drugs Project reported 188,000 hospital admissions due to alcohol between 2002 and 2011. Of these admissions, approximately 12,000 were children and teens.
“Price is the most important factor in terms of drinking. But we also know that other forms of accessibility to alcohol is related to increased drinking overall,” Macdonald said.
Alcohol generates about $ 1 billion in annual revenue for the B.C. government but its use also puts a significant burden on society and the economy through direct costs associated with the healthcare and criminal justice systems, according to the Ministry of Justice.
The research commissioned by the Ministry of Health showed that in 2002 the costs of alcohol-related harms exceeded the direct revenue by $ 65 million.
Gerald Thomas, director of alcohol policy at the ministry of health, said the province face the challenge of fulfilling two conflicts mandates.
“There is a conflict of interest between maintaining income from alcohol sale and at the same time having to address the public health and safety concerns,” he said. “It’s not a very strong policy but at least, we have it now.”
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List of documents associated with this assignment:
Briefing note to the minister of health regarding implementation of BC Liquor Review Policy
This is a briefing note to the minister of health indicating expected harms by the increased availability of alcohol recommended by the 2013 liquor policy review; and measures to offset them. Paragraph 5 on page 2 served as a starting point for my story. Without this document, I wouldn’t know how the BC government will deal with an increase in drinking caused by the easy accessibility of alcohol.
BC liquor policy review implementation table
This document retrieved from the website of the Ministry of Justice shows the progress in implementing the recommendations of the liquor policy review. Recommendation 17 assured me that I am not working on an old issue. Setting the minimum price is not yet finished.
Access to Information Request Ottawa
This ATI request was sent to the City of Ottawa by mail on March 14, 2016. I haven’t heard from them since then.
Access to Information Request Ontario
This ATI request was submitted to the ONTARIO Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing on March 14, 2016. The request was sent by mail and I haven’t heard from them since then.
Message confirming reception of ATI request to the federal level
This is a computer generated message I received after submitting my online request to the department of Employment and Social Development Canada asking for briefing notes to Minister Duclos, from November 04, 2015 to the present, regarding the implementation of the guaranteed income for all proposed by the Liberal Party during the campaign.
Correspondence regarding ATI request to the federal level
Three days after submitting my request to the Employment and Social Development Canada asking for briefing notes to Minister Duclos regarding the implementation of the guaranteed income policy, I received an email asking for clarification of my request. I responded immediately and I am still waiting to hear from them.
Message confirming reception of ATI request to the federal level (information already disclosed)
Confirmation of the access to information request addressed to the department of Employment and Social Development Canada asking for a list of all briefing notes to Minister Duclos for November 2015. The similar request had been made before under the request number A-2015-00945. On March 18, I received a mail containing a list of briefing notes but without the content of those briefing notes. I called the phone number on the letter to ask for the content of the briefing notes but none answered. I left a voicemail.