Retail Alcohol Monopolies: A Public Health Perspective

A Public Health Perspective

Depending upon their orientation, alcohol policies can have a positive or negative influence on personal, social, economic and environmental contexts. A healthy public policy is widely recognized as a key goal of health promotion (e.g., Lalonde, 1974; CAMH, 2000).  In this context, the key goal of a healthy approach with regard to alcohol is to encourage risk and harm reduction strategies in managing alcohol distribution. Research in other areas for example, tobacco control (Pacula & Chaloupka, 2001; Ranson et al., 2002), also demonstrates the impact of healthy public policies on changes in behaviour.  Alcohol policies are the necessary cornerstone in balancing health and safety risks with the commercial aspects of alcohol distribution and sales.  This approach is consistent with CAMH's health promotion framework, which emphasises the determinants of health, protective factors and risk factors within the social, political and cultural contexts in which people live (CAMH, 2000).  CAMH also supports the principles of harm reduction and risk avoidance; an alcohol retail monopoly system - with strong control and regulatory agendas -- is central to promoting these principles with regard to alcohol (CAMH, 2001).

A review of the international evidence -- with a focus on Canadian experiences - indicates that retail alcohol monopolies, with a strong public health agenda and combined with alcohol regulation, have the potential to contribute significantly to the prevention of alcohol-related problems (e.g., Babor et al., 2003, p. 264).  Government-run alcohol monopolies are uniquely positioned to play this important role (e.g., Room, 1993), and, as is indicated below, there is broad public support for them.

Based on this research, CAMH recommends that the Government of Ontario maintain the provincial alcohol monopoly with strong regulation as a means of preventing alcohol-related problems, that public health and safety objectives be an integral part of the alcohol regulation mandate, and that the government strengthen its control and alcohol problem management agendas.

 

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