Mark van der Maas1, Norman Giesbrecht2, Gina Stoduto2, Heather Orpana3,4, Robert Geneau3, Robert Mann2. 1. School of Social Work, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey, United States of America. 2. Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. 3. Centre for Surveillance and Applied Research, Public Health Agency of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. 4. School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: We conducted a pilot assessment of the feasibility of implementing the International Alcohol Control (IAC) Study in Ontario, Canada, to allow for future comparisons on the impacts of alcohol control policies with a number of countries. METHODS: The IAC Study questionnaire was adapted for use in the province of Ontario, and a split-sample approach was used to collect data. Data were collected by computer-assisted telephone interviewing of 500 participants, with half the sample each answering a subset of the adapted IAC Study survey. RESULTS: Just over half of the sample (53.6%) reported high frequency drinking (once a week or more frequently), while 6.5% reported heavy typical occasion drinking (8 drinks or more per session). Self-reported rates of alcohol-related harms from one's own and others' drinking were relatively low. Attitudes towards alcohol control varied. A substantial majority supported more police spot checks to detect drinking and driving, while restrictions on the number of alcohol outlets and increases in the price of alcohol were generally opposed. CONCLUSION: This pilot study demonstrated that the IAC Study survey can be implemented in Canada with some modifications. Future research should assess how to improve participation rates and the feasibility of implementing the longitudinal aspect of the IAC Study. This survey provides additional insight into alcohol-related behaviours and attitudes towards alcohol control policies, which can be used to develop appropriate public health responses in the Canadian context.
INTRODUCTION: We conducted a pilot assessment of the feasibility of implementing the International Alcohol Control (IAC) Study in Ontario, Canada, to allow for future comparisons on the impacts of alcohol control policies with a number of countries. METHODS: The IAC Study questionnaire was adapted for use in the province of Ontario, and a split-sample approach was used to collect data. Data were collected by computer-assisted telephone interviewing of 500 participants, with half the sample each answering a subset of the adapted IAC Study survey. RESULTS: Just over half of the sample (53.6%) reported high frequency drinking (once a week or more frequently), while 6.5% reported heavy typical occasion drinking (8 drinks or more per session). Self-reported rates of alcohol-related harms from one's own and others' drinking were relatively low. Attitudes towards alcohol control varied. A substantial majority supported more police spot checks to detect drinking and driving, while restrictions on the number of alcohol outlets and increases in the price of alcohol were generally opposed. CONCLUSION: This pilot study demonstrated that the IAC Study survey can be implemented in Canada with some modifications. Future research should assess how to improve participation rates and the feasibility of implementing the longitudinal aspect of the IAC Study. This survey provides additional insight into alcohol-related behaviours and attitudes towards alcohol control policies, which can be used to develop appropriate public health responses in the Canadian context.
Entities:
Keywords:
Canada; IAC Study; International Alcohol Control Study; alcohol; binge-drinking; policy; survey instrument
Authors: Mark S Kaplan; Nathalie Huguet; Bentson H McFarland; Raul Caetano; Kenneth R Conner; Norman Giesbrecht; Kurt B Nolte Journal: Ann Epidemiol Date: 2014-05-23 Impact factor: 3.797
Authors: Robyn Burton; Clive Henn; Don Lavoie; Rosanna O'Connor; Clare Perkins; Kate Sweeney; Felix Greaves; Brian Ferguson; Caryl Beynon; Annalisa Belloni; Virginia Musto; John Marsden; Nick Sheron Journal: Lancet Date: 2016-12-02 Impact factor: 79.321
Authors: Surasak Chaiyasong; Taisia Huckle; Anne-Marie Mackintosh; Petra Meier; Charles D H Parry; Sarah Callinan; Pham Viet Cuong; Elena Kazantseva; Gaile Gray-Phillip; Karl Parker; Sally Casswell Journal: Drug Alcohol Rev Date: 2018-06-13