An officer from the Southern Georgian Bay Detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) while on patrol, was waved down by a male at approximately 1:01 a.m. January 1, 2025, who appeared to have his grey Ford parked as to intentionally block a residential driveway on Hugel Avenue, Midland. Upon speaking with the male it was learned that a black Cadillac parked further into the driveway was involved in a nearby collision with the complainant and the vehicle had fled the scene and entered the driveway.

The officer located the suspect Cadillac and driver in the Hugel Avenue driveway and entered into an impaired driving investigation after conversation. A further investigation at the scene inside the vehicle led to the seizure of open liquor and also a quantity of a white powdery substance believed to be Methamphetamine.

As a result of these investigations, Anthony BROWN 25 years of Penetanguishene has been charged criminally with the following offences:

• Operation while impaired – alcohol and drugs
• Operation while impaired – blood alcohol concentration (80 plus)

And Further with the following offence contrary to the Controlled Drug and Substances Act

• Possession of a Schedule I Substance – Methamphetamine

And Further with the following Provincial Offences:

• Careless driving
• Novice driver – B.A.C. above zero
• Fail to remain
• Driving motor vehicle with open container of liquor

The accused was released from custody to appear before the Ontario Court of Justice  on the January 16, 2025, and also served a 90 day drivers licence suspension. The involved vehicle was towed and the subject of a 7 day vehicle impound in accordance to the Ministry of Transportation (ADLS) guidelines.

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If you choose to drink, Canada’s Guidance on Alcohol and Health provides an easy way to figure out how you can lower the risks to your health. Recent research has led to updated guidance on alcohol and health, showing that drinking less is better for your overall well-being. There is a clear continuum of risk associated with alcohol use: as the number of drinks per week increases, so does the risk of long-term health issues, including seven types of cancer (such as breast and colorectal), cardiovascular disease, liver disease, and alcohol dependency. Additionally, alcohol use can lead to immediate harms like violence, injuries, and motor vehicle collisions. The more you drink, the higher your risk of experiencing these harms.

“A mindful approach to drinking over the holidays, is a gift to yourself and your loved ones this season,” says Mia Brown, manager of the health unit’s, Substance Use and Injury Prevention program. “When you reduce your alcohol consumption, not only do you lower your risk for serious health problems, but you will begin to experience other positive changes that can improve your social and mental well-being such as better sleep, increased energy during the day and improved decision-making that can lead to better relationships with your loved ones.”

To lower your alcohol consumption, consider planning activities and gatherings that do not include alcohol, opting for non or low-alcoholic beverages, setting and sticking to a drink limit, measuring alcohol when mixing drinks, and pacing your alcohol intake. Other approaches include alternating alcoholic drinks with water or non-alcoholic beverages and eating before and during alcohol consumption.

If you are hosting a holiday gathering that includes alcohol, be sure to offer a selection of non-alcoholic beverages, have plenty of nutritious food options so no one drinks on an empty stomach, include activities and entertainment that shift the focus away from alcohol, and have a plan to get guests home safely.

For more tips on making safe and healthy choices about alcohol during the holiday season, visit smdhu.org/LetsTalkOverDrinks or call Health Connection on weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at 705-721-7520 or 1-877-721-7520.

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Starting today, all licensed convenience stores in Ontario can sell beer, cider, wine and ready-to-drink alcoholic beverages, marking the largest expansion of consumer choice and convenience in provincial alcohol sales since the end of prohibition almost 100 years ago. As of September 5, 4,187 convenience stores across Ontario are licensed to sell alcoholic beverages, in addition to nearly 3,000 other licensed retail outlets as well as takeaway options from licensed bars and restaurants.

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The company worked with artist/painter Curtia Wright, multidisciplinary visual artist Kezna Dalz, singer-songwriter Aqyila, content creator and DJ Elise Purdon, DIY experts The Sorry Girls, and fashion writer/editor and author of #TorontoMakes Randi Bergman to showcase their talents and promote creativity.

For Smirnoff’s summer drinks and their Express Your Zest campaign, the nostalgic taste of lemonade is at the heart of it all. The company has brought back their Ice Pink Lemonade, a classic crisp lemonade cocktail with a hint of berry flavour. New this year is their Ice Peach Lemonade, which offers the delectable flavour of peaches layered over a lemonade base. Another delicious option is the new Peach Lemonade Vodka. 

Smirnoff is also introducing a Seltzer Lemonades Variety Pack with pink, peach, blue raspberry and pineapple flavours. The drinks have natural flavouring, making for a low sugar option with just 100 calories per can. 

Whether you’re crafting cocktails at the cottage or grabbing ready-to-drink seltzers for a day of relaxation, Smirnoff has the citrus lovers of cottage country covered. The products are available nationally at select retail and liquor stores.

Along with introducing their refreshing new line of drinks, the Express Your Zest campaign aims to support Canadian creators within the arts, music and entertainment industries. 

“For over two years, Canadians have been confined to the digital world, finding new and unique ways to unleash their creativity. We know creative expression is powerful, and when encouraged, it can have such a positive and lasting impact,” said Amy Smith, senior marketing manager for Smirnoff Ready-to-Drink portfolio. “With Express Your Zest, we are working with rising local makers to encourage Canadians to take the step forward and express their unique selves, with zest.”

Another new offering is Smirnoff’s Vodka & Soda Berry Blast, a refreshing combination of cherry, citrus and blue raspberry. It includes a cold-activated can that turns blue once the cocktail is chilled and ready to drink. Better yet, it has no sugar or carbs and is just 90 calories. 

To see exciting news from Smirnoff over the summer, follow @SmirnoffCA and the #ExpressYourZest campaign on Instagram. To see the products at LCBO, click here. 

This post is sponsored by Smirnoff.

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The Ontario government is supporting businesses impacted by the pandemic and continuing to provide choice and convenience for consumers by cutting LCBO wholesale prices for bars and restaurants, enabling curbside pickup of beer, wine and cider from licensed grocery stores, and freezing the basic beer tax rate.

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In Canada, alcohol use was linked to 7,000 new cases of cancer in 2020, including 24 per cent of breast cancer cases, 20 per cent of colon cancers, 15 per cent of rectal cancers, and 13 per cent of oral and liver cancers.

“All drinking involves risk,” said study co-author Dr. Jürgen Rehm, Senior Scientist, Institute for Mental Health Policy Research and Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute at CAMH. “And with alcohol-related cancers, all levels of consumption are associated with some risk. For example, each standard sized glass of wine per day is associated with a 6 per cent higher risk for developing female breast cancer.”

“Alcohol consumption causes a substantial burden of cancer globally,” said Dr. Isabelle Soerjomataram, Deputy Branch Head, Cancer Surveillance Branch at IARC. “Yet the impact on cancers is often unknown or overlooked, highlighting the need for implementation of effective policy and interventions to increase public awareness of the link between alcohol use and cancer risk, and decrease overall alcohol consumption to prevent the burden of alcohol-attributable cancers.”

Dr. Leslie Buckley, CAMH Chief of Addictions, added: “In our clinic we are seeing many people who report increased alcohol use since the onset of the pandemic. Although this may be related to temporary stressors, there is a potential for new habits to become more permanent. The consequences with alcohol use are often subtle harms initially that take time to show themselves, while long-term consequences such as cancer, liver disease and substance use disorder can be devastating.”

The modelling study was based on data on alcohol exposure from almost all countries of the world, both surveys and sales figures, which were combined with the latest relative risk estimates for cancer based on level of consumption.

“Alcohol causes cancer in numerous ways,” explained Dr. Kevin Shield, Independent Scientist, Institute for Mental Health Policy Research, and study co-author. “The main mechanism of how alcohol causes cancer is through impairing DNA repair. Additional pathways include chronic alcohol consumption resulting in liver cirrhosis, and alcohol leading to a dysregulation of sex hormones, leading to breast cancer. Alcohol also increases the risk of head and neck cancer for smokers as it increases the absorption of carcinogens from tobacco.”

Dr. Rehm says research into the link between light to moderate drinking and cancer is relatively new and that public policy does not yet reflect the degree of cancer risk. He added, “As an epidemiologist, I would recommend higher taxes to fully reflect the burden of disease from alcohol. Along with limiting the physical availability and marketing of alcohol, price controls are recognized as high-impact, cost-effective measures to reduce alcohol-related harm.” Governments can also consider requiring manufacturers to include information about health and safety risks associated with alcohol consumption, including cancer risk, on alcoholic beverage labels.

These suggestions and many others can be found in CAMH’s Alcohol Policy Framework. Updated in September 2019, the document proposes evidence-informed measures to effectively address the health and social harms associated with alcohol.

CAMH is one of Canada’s leaders in providing addictions services, and has treated approximately 3,600 patients in the last year for alcohol use disorder. For more information and resources regarding alcohol use and dependence, visit the CAMH website.

SOURCE Centre for Addiction and Mental Health

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