Delegates Program - Alberta Centre for Injury Control & Research

DrinkSMARTS:
Promoting Canada’s Low-Risk Alcohol Drinking Guidelines with young adults in workplaces
and in the community to address high-risk drinking
Speaker:
Sarah Heath, Addiction Counsellor
Addiction Services Hinton, Alberta Health Services
What was the actual and/or potential alcohol-related injury issue(s) you identified in your
community?
In counselling sessions, staff noticed that over drinking in clients was common and that
there was a relationship between over drinking and use of other drugs. In 2010 staff
collaborated and created the Drink SMARTS campaign
Low risk drinking standards were not being promoted, and there was a lack of education
for clients as well as the general public as to what “low-risk” or “healthy” drinking
actually meant. Canada’s Low-Risk Alcohol Drinking Guidelines promotes zero
tolerance to avoid a variety of injury issues and zero tolerance in situations where one is
responsible for the safety of others
What did you do to address the identified issue(s)?
Staff members in Hinton created the Drink SMARTS program, wanting to come up with
an idea that would be easily remembered
Displays were created as well as a business card with information about healthy, low risk
drinking standards and what a standard drink looks like. This was utilized with clients as
well as within the community and region
What outcomes did you observe?
The Drink SMARTS display was kept at the front of the Hinton Addictions office. It
brought up questions as well as people interested in learning more, from clients as well as
family members and staff from other agencies
The Drink SMARTS program opened up discussions that otherwise may not have
occurred – Launched at Family Health & Safety Night in 2010
The program created an opportunity for education and as a result there were a number of
clients that attended counselling specifically for information and support with controlled
or “low-risk” drinking
How might other Alberta communities use this information?
Camrose and St. Paul have utilized this program on college campuses to educate young
adults
There is always a need for more education on alcohol since it is the most widely used
drug. Since it is a “legal” drug for those over the age of 18 the dangers and effects of
high-risk drinking are sometimes minimized. Coming up with this idea allowed
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