The Chief Public Health Officer's Report on the State of Public Health in Canada 2015: Resources on Alcohol

How can we reduce or stop drinking?

• Certain strategies and tools can help us reduce or stop our use of alcohol, including:
  • College of Family Physicians Canada and CCSA: Drinking Smart
  • WHO: Self-help strategies for cutting down or stopping substance use
  • Centre for Addiction and Mental Health: Saying When: How to quit drinking or cut down
• Know how much is too much - Canada's Low-Risk Alcohol Drinking Guidelines identify the amount of alcohol that puts our health at risk.
• Anticipate and be prepared for triggers and situations that may tempt you to drink.
• Recognize personal risks for use and how they can impact behaviour and choices.
• Reduce stress with healthy coping strategies.
• Be healthy - eat well, get enough sleep, be active.
• Improve your mental health and wellness.
• Foster supportive friendships and family relationships.

Strengthening mental well-being:

• The Government of Canada has a webpage dedicated to mental health and wellness.
• The Public Health Agency of Canada's Mental Health Promotion program leads and support national activities that promote mental health.
• The Canadian Mental Health Association is a national organization that supports people with mental illness through a variety of innovative services and supports.
• The Mental Health Commission of Canada collaborates with partners to improve the mental health system in Canada and change attitudes and behaviours of Canadians around mental health issues.

Resources for youth:

Youth are particularly at risk for impacts from alcohol.

• Mind your Mind is an award winning space for youth and young adults to find support when going through tough times.
• The Traffic Injury Research Foundation's Young and New Driver Resource Centre offers information and resources for young drivers and their parents. It covers both alcohol and drug impaired driving.
• The RCMP's DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) program is designed to equip school children with the skills to recognize and resist social pressures to experiment with alcohol, tobacco and other drugs.
• The RCMP's Aboriginal Shield Program was created to better enable Aboriginal youth to make informed healthy lifestyle choices regarding alcohol, drugs and positive alternatives.
• Centre for Addiction and Mental Health's Information for Children and Youth provides a variety of resources for children and youth on mental health and addictions.
• The National Institute on Drug Abuse in the United States has a website specifically for teens that provides a variety of accessible information and tools on topics related to alcohol and other drugs.

For Parents - How can we help youth?

• Encourage youth to delay drinking as long as possible - Canada's Low-Risk Alcohol Drinking Guidelines
• Be a good role model and  keep talking to  your child(ren) about alcohol and drugs at all ages and stages of development  -  Government of Canada - Talking about drugs; Centre for Addiction and Mental Health - Resources for parents.
• Help them develop healthy strategies to deal with stress and change - The Public Health Agency of Canada - Helping teens cope.
• Support them if they are having trouble with bullies - Government of Canada - Bullying
• Foster a healthy family environment - The Public Health Agency of Canada - Parenting resources and support, The Public Health Agency of Canada - Stop family violence, Department of Justice - Family violence
• Encourage them to be healthy and active - Government of Canada - Health living.

Resources for Aboriginal populations:

• The Assembly of First Nations (AFN) promotes the Indigenous Social Determinants of Health, explaining how First Nations health is equally affected by a range of historical and culturally-specific factors which include aspects of colonization, assimilation, loss of language, historical conditions, and cultural identity.
• The First Nations Regional Health Survey is the only First Nations -governed, national health survey in Canada. It collects information about on reserve and northern First Nations communities based on both Western and traditional understandings of health and well-being. AFN Chiefs in Assembly, the Chiefs Committee on Health and First Nations Regions across the country have mandated the First Nations Information Governance Centre to provide oversight and governance over the RHS.
• Resulting from a partnerships between Health Canada, AFN and the Thunderbird Partnership Foundation (formerly the National Native Addictions Partnership Foundation), Honouring Our Strengths: A Renewed Framework to Address Substance Use Issues Among First Nations People in Canada and First Nations Mental Wellness Continuum Framework  are two documents that outline actions being taken to improve well-being, including around the use of alcohol and other drugs. Similarly, a mental wellness action plan has been developed by the Inuit Tapariit Kanatami that touches on issues related to alcohol and other drug use among Inuit.
• The National Native Alcohol and Drug Abuse Program (NNADAP) helps set up and operate addiction programs to reduce and prevent alcohol, drug and solvent abuse in Aboriginal communities. The program's goal is to help fund First Nations and Inuit-run initiatives. Most treatment programs use many different approaches that blend culturally specific and mainstream approaches.
• Thunderbird Partnership Foundation is the national voice advocating for Inuit and First Nations culturally-based addictions services.
• Health Canada's First Nations and Inuit Health Branch invests in First Nations and Inuit communities to educate and raise awareness about the impacts of FASD, develop culturally appropriate prevention and early intervention programs and train front line workers.

Being healthy at all ages and stages:

Being healthy can help reduce not only how much you drink, but also the impacts from alcohol.

• Pregnancy:
  • The Government of Canada outlines important information for a safe and healthy pregnancy.
  • The Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada is a leading authority on reproductive health care.
• Childhood:
  • The Government of Canada provides information on the determinants of health in childhood and adolescence and guidance on promoting physical activity and reducing obesity in children.
  • The Public Health Agency of Canada's Aboriginal Head Start in Urban and Northern Communities and Health Canada's Aboriginal Head Start On Reserve are programs that support the healthy development of Aboriginal children by working with children, parents and communities.
• Adolescence:
  • The Government of Canada provides a number of resources on drug prevention, including resources for parents as well a variety of contacts from across Canada for help.
  • Health Canada has links to a variety of resources on topics that are relevant to youth.
  • Friends and peer pressure are strong influences in adolescence. The Government of Canada has a variety of resources for both teenagers and parents to cope with and prevent bullying.
• Adulthood: The Government of Canada provides a variety of resources for healthy living, drugs, health and consumer products, food and nutrition, diseases and conditions, Aboriginal health, health system and services, family violence, employment and disability.
• Aging: The Government of Canada provides resources on aging  and addressing and preventing various chronic diseases.

Resources for healthcare professionals:

• Prevention Hub Canada is a website dedicated to developing and housing an information network that supports healthcare professionals in addressing substance use prevention.