Nightlife, Drinking and Violence

For Immediate Release – November 12, 2008 (TORONTO): Where everybody knows your name – is this the environment you find at your local bar or pub?

Not any more, for many bars and clubs. Rapid growth and change in barroom culture over the past few decades has resulted in an abundance of large-scale anonymous drinking environments, high levels of intoxication and increased risk of violence— the kind we read about in the media on a regular basis. Dr. Kathryn Graham, a leading scientist in the study of safer bars and violence prevention at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), and a team of community partners will address these issues head on with a free one-day event focused on preventing nightlife-related problems and high risk drinking by young adults.

The Toronto Summit on Nightlife, Drinking and Violence – Raising the Bar will bring together bar and club owners and staff, scientists, police, regulatory representatives, public health, city planners and other policy makers, bar goers and other relevant stakeholders to discuss current research and practices on the nature of the problem. They will also discuss approaches to preventing and managing problem behaviour in bars, pubs and clubs.

For Dr. Graham and planning co-chair Janet McAllister, program consultant in CAMH’s Policy, Education and Health Promotion department, it’s important that the Summit reflects as many perspectives as possible and gives many voices a chance to be heard on the subject of drinking and bar violence. “It’s a complex issue without an easy solution. It will take all of us working together to understand and prevent high-risk behaviour that leads to violence,” says Graham.

The Summit builds on Dr. Graham’s work in her new book entitled Raising the Bar, which seeks to understand and tackle the complex problem of drinking and violence through evidence-based preventive strategies. As Dr. Graham explains, “this information is only useful if it moves into practice. By understanding and applying the material in Raising the Bar, and creating a forum for open discussion on drinking and violence, we can move towards a safer night-time environment in and around bars and clubs.”

The “Toronto Summit on Nightlife, Drinking and Violence – Raising the Bar” will be held on November 18, 2008 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.* at Montana Restaurant Bar.

9:00 am to 12:30: Presenters and delegates will explore the kinds of violence and other problems that are associated with nightlife in Toronto.

1:30 pm to 4:00 pm: Presentations and discussions will focus on issues, strategies, experiences and approaches to prevention.

*Media are invited to attend the Summit between 12:30 pm and 1:30 pm.

Visit Nightlife, Drinking and Violence for more information. This event is sponsored by CAMH, AGCO, City of Toronto, Toronto Entertainment District BIA, and the Toronto Police Service.

To arrange interviews please contact Michael Torres, Media Relations, CAMH at (416) 595-6015.

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The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) is Canada's largest mental health and addiction teaching hospital, as well as one of the world's leading research centres in the area of addiction and mental health. CAMH combines clinical care, research, education, policy development and health promotion to transform the lives of people affected by mental health and addiction issues.

CAMH is fully affiliated with the University of Toronto, and is a Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization Collaborating Centre.