Local community and health organizations partner to help make healthy choices about alcohol

For Immediate Release – September 15, 2006 (Toronto) – The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) in collaboration with community health organizations is proud to release linguistic and cultural adaptations of the Low-Risk Drinking Guidelines at a reception on September 15, 2006, at CAMH’s Russell St. Site.

Composed of partnerships between CAMH and eight community-based organizations serving culturally diverse communities, the Culture Counts Project was launched in 2003 with the goal to research, identify and develop a model for community education in mental health and addiction specifically geared to ensure programs effectively meet the needs of diverse communities.

Substance abuse exists in all cultures and penetrates across cultural differences. There is growing awareness that health promotion programs and messaging designed for the general population do not reach diverse cultural groups. To effectively respond to the needs of culturally diverse populations, linguistically appropriate and culturally responsive health promotion programs and information are essential to ensure equal access to resources.

“Alcohol is the third leading cause of health related harms in developed countries such as Canada, so it is not surprising that seven cultural communities found alcohol use and related problems to be of significant concern,” said Marianne Kobus-Matthews, Senior Health Promotion Consultant, CAMH. “It may not be realistic for us to expect people to avoid alcohol completely, so we want to help make people aware of the potential dangers to which alcohol use can contribute.” The Low-Risk Drinking Guidelines can help people make healthy choices when they drink, in order to minimize the many risks related to alcohol consumption.

Five Ontario communities found alcohol to be a significant concern, and in response, worked with CAMH to develop versions of the Low-Risk Drinking Guidelines that respond specifically to the cultural needs of their community.

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For more information or to confirm attendance at the Culture Counts launch, media please contact: Michael Torres, Media Relations Coordinator, CAMH at (416) 595-6015.

The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) is a specialized teaching hospital fully affiliated with the University of Toronto, and is the largest mental health and addiction facility in Canada. CAMH is also a Pan American Health Organization and a World Health Organization Collaborating Centre.