Canadian Alcohol Policy Evaluation

  
A blue map of Canada with red lettergrades on each province and territory representing alcohol policy scores
Alcohol policy scores across Canadian jurisdictions from the 2019 CAPE Project

The Canadian Alcohol Policy Evaluation (CAPE), which has a track record of strengthening Canada’s response to alcohol-related harm, is an ongoing project that systematically evaluates the degree of implementation of provincial, territorial, and federal alcohol policies under 11 evidence-based alcohol policy domains.

CAPE was initially developed and implemented in 2013 (CAPE 1.0), and then updated, refined, and expanded in 2019 (CAPE 2.0). The next round (CAPE 3.0) launched in 2022 alongside a national alcohol policy community of practice.

Join the CAPE Community of Practice. Inscrivez-vous à la CdP de l’ÉPCA.

 

Current campaigns

Alcohol labelling

Background

The Canadian Alcohol Policy Evaluation Community of Practice (CAPE CoP) was developed as an accompaniment to the broader CAPE project, which is an ongoing assessment of alcohol policy across Canadian provinces, territories, and the federal government.

The CAPE CoP aims to establish a national alcohol policy community which builds and sustains long-term connections, collaborations, and professional development between diverse stakeholders, and increases both awareness and knowledge of emerging alcohol-related research and policies through a range of different mobilization activities and events.

The CAPE CoP is funded by a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council Connection Grant, the Public Health Agency of Canada, and Health Canada's Substance Use and Addictions Program.

The CAPE CoP is comprised primarily of a national email listserv, policy forums, roundtable discussions, research presentations, and capacity-building sessions related to alcohol policy.

How To Join

Fill out our member registration form and offer some initial thoughts and ideas on what the CoP activities and events should include. You will receive a listserv notification and welcome email once your membership is confirmed. There are no membership fees to join. If you have questions, please email .

Inscrivez-vous à la CdP de l’ÉPCA

Frequently Asked Questions| Foire aux questions

Are there membership fees to join the CAPE community of practice? Y a-t-il des frais d'adhésion pour rejoindre la CdP de l'ÉPCA?

The CAPE CoP is free! There are no fees to join as a member or for any of the events. In fact, for anyone who identifies as an individual with lived/living experience we have honoraria available for their time.

La CdP de l’ÉPCA est gratuite! Il n’y a pas de frais pour devenir membre ou pour participer aux événements. De plus, les personnes ayant une expérience vécue ont droit à une rémunération.

What is involved in being a member of the CAPE community of practice? Qu'implique le fait d'être membre de la CdP de l'ÉPCA?

The purpose of the CAPE CoP is to bring together individuals interested in alcohol policy across Canada to knowledge-share and collaborate. The CAPE CoP allows you to be as involved as you’d like. You can pick and choose what events you want to attend and whether or not you want to received emails from the CAPE CoP listserv. The degree to which you choose to participate in the CAPE CoP is up to you. Please feel free to attend and/or participate in any event you feel would be beneficial to the work that you do.

L’objectif principal de la CdP de l’ÉPCA est de rassembler les personnes intéressées par les politiques sur l’alcool au Canada à des fins de discussion et de collaboration. La CdP de l’ÉPCA vous permet de vous impliquer en fonction de votre intérêt et de vos capacités. Vous pouvez choisir les événements auxquels vous souhaitez assister et décider de recevoir ou non les courriels de la liste de diffusion. C’est à vous de déterminer dans quelle mesure vous désirez vous impliquer au sein de la CdP de l’ÉPCA. N’hésitez pas à assister ou à participer à tout événement susceptible de profiter à votre travail.

How do I find out what’s happening with the CAPE CoP? Comment puis-je savoir ce qui se passe avec la CdP de l'ÉPCA?

Members receive information about upcoming CAPE CoP events and will also get glimpses of the progress of the CAPE 3.0 project. When it comes time to release the findings of the CAPE 3.0 project, invitations to those presentations will be disseminated both to members and beyond the CAPE CoP.

Vous devez être membre de la CdP de l’ÉPCA pour être informé(e) des futurs événements du groupe. Les membres auront un aperçu du projet de l’ÉPCA tout au long de l’évolution de ce dernier. Lorsque le moment sera venu de présenter les résultats du projet de l’ÉPCA 3.0, les invitations leur seront transmises ainsi qu’aux personnes de l’extérieur.

If I join the CAPE CoP, will I be required to validate data for the CAPE 3.0 project? Si je rejoins la CdP de l'ÉPCA , dois-je valider les données pour le projet de l'ÉPCA 3.0?

CAPE CoP members are under no obligation to validate data for the CAPE 3.0 project. The CAPE data validation contacts are recruited separately through our contacts in government departments and this role is independent of involvement in the CAPE CoP.  If you are interested in the role of data validator, please contact us.

Les membres de la CdP de l’ÉPCA n’ont aucunement l’obligation de valider les données du projet de l’ÉPCA 3.0. Les personnes chargées de cette validation sont recrutées séparément par l’intermédiaire de nos contacts au sein des ministères et ce rôle est indépendant de leur participation à la CdP de l’ÉPCA. Si valider des données vous intéresse, veuillez communiquer avec nous.

Are CAPE community of practice communications and resources available in both English and French? Est-ce que les communications et ressources de la CdP de l'ÉPCA ont disponsible en francais et en anglais?

Materials produced by CAPE, such as event summaries and reports, will be made available in both English and French. Simultaneous interpretation in either French or English will be provided for webinars/presentations. Email correspondence will be primarily in English.

Le contenu produit par l’ÉPCA, tel que les résumés d’événements et les rapports, sera disponible en anglais et en français. Un service d’interprétation simultanée en français et en anglais sera offert dans le cadre des webinaires et des présentations. La correspondance par courriel se fera principalement en anglais.

Upcoming Events

September 28, 2022: Alcohol strategies and action plans: experiences, opportunities and challenges

*Please note: this is a members-only event. You must be a CAPE Community of Practice member to attend this event. Register here to become a member. 

Join us on Wednesday September 28th for this webinar exploring the process and progress of alcohol strategies and action plans in Canada. Several Canadian jurisdictions have strategies or action plans under development, active or on-the-shelf. Presenters and panelists will discuss their experiences in relation to planning, development, implementation and review of strategies and actions plans, highlighting the challenges and opportunities at the regional, provincial/territorial, and federal levels.

(See registration link below for list of panelists and presenters)

Register for webinar 

Past Events: Recordings, Slides, and Summaries

January 19, 2022: Canadian Alcohol Policy Evaluation (CAPE) Community of Practice Launch Event

Event Description: This public launch event will feature an overview of CAPE research, an update on alcohol policy changes in Canada, and a look ahead at CAPE 3.0. We will also share our vision for the CAPE Community of Practice (CoP) and hear what the stakeholders (you!) would like to see happen in this space. 

Event Poster

March 16, 2022: Alcohol Warning Labels: Informing Canadian Consumers

Event Description: Hear from experts in Canada and beyond about current initiatives and lessons learned regarding implementing alcohol warning labels, legal considerations for Canadian jurisdictions, and discussion of potential next steps.

Event Poster

March 30, 2022: Alcohol Warning Labels Roundtable: Exploring the Legal Issues

Event Description: This roundtable event is a follow-up to our March 16th webinar on alcohol warning labels. The session will provide a more in-depth exploration of the legal issues and considerations around implementation of warning labels in Canadian jurisdictions.

Roundtables are not recorded. High level discussion summaries are available upon request from capecopcoord@uvic.ca

Les tables rondes ne sont pas enregistrées. Des sommaires de discussion de haut niveau sont accessibles sur demande à l'adresse suivante: capecopcoord@uvic.ca

April 13, 2022: Alcohol Warning Labels Roundtable: Advocacy Approaches (Australian Perspective)

Event Description: This roundtable event is a follow-up to our March 16th webinar on alcohol warning labels. Team members from the Foundation for Alcohol Research & Education (FARE) in Australia will provide an overview of the process of developing pregnancy warning labels in Australia and the advocacy approaches used to support their implementation in 2020.

Roundtables are not recorded. High level discussion summaries are available upon request from capecopcoord@uvic.ca

Les tables rondes ne sont pas enregistrées. Des sommaires de discussion de haut niveau sont accessibles sur demande à l'adresse suivante: capecopcoord@uvic.ca

May 4, 2022: Alcohol Warning Labels Roundtable: Advocacy Approaches (Canadian Perspective)

Event Description: This roundtable event is the final follow-up to our March 16th webinar on alcohol warning labels. In this session we will explore advocacy approaches to support the implementation of alcohol warning labels in Canada. 

Roundtables are not recorded. High level discussion summaries are available upon request from capecopcoord@uvic.ca

Les tables rondes ne sont pas enregistrées. Des sommaires de discussion de haut niveau sont accessibles sur demande à l'adresse suivante: capecopcoord@uvic.ca

June 8, 2022: Overt and Covert Alcohol Industry Activities: Navigating the Canadian Landscape

Event Description: An exploration of how health promotion intersects with private alcohol interests in Canada. Alcohol companies employ a range of strategies that contribute to the normalization of alcohol including actively promoting their product through marketing as well as undermining evidence-based alcohol health information through alcohol industry corporate social responsibility (CSR) bodies. Presenters from the UK and Canada will provide an overview of how industry CSR bodies operate and highlight some specific examples of alcohol marketing and CSR activities in the Canadian context.

Communications

Terms of Reference

Read the Terms of Reference for the Canadian Alcohol Policy Evaluation Community of Practice (CAPE CoP)

 

Contact Us

Alcohol Warning Labels

Alcohol and Cancer

Other Alcohol Policy Evaluations

Alcohol and Public Health Reports and Guidance

Alcohol Consumption and Harm Data Tools

Alcohol and COVID-19

Detailed policy tracking tables of changes that have occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic are available for each province and territory from CCSA. To request policy tracking tables, please contact Dr. Catherine Paradis

Alcohol Industry

Liquor Acts and Regulations

Alcohol Strategy Documents

Municipal Alcohol Policies

Ressources disponibles en français

Project Overview

About the Provincial and Territorial CAPE Project

The provincial and territorial CAPE Project is a rigorous assessment of the extent to which evidence-based alcohol policies have been implemented in all 13 jurisdictions in Canada. The study design is based on a similar model conceived of and implemented by MADD Canada assessing the progress of policy measures to reduce impaired driving (see 2015 Provincial Impaired Driving Report). The types of alcohol policies being evaluated at the provincial and territorial level include those with direct evidence of direct effectiveness as a means of reducing population level consumption of alcohol and/or related harms such as: pricing and taxation; physical availability of alcohol; impaired driving countermeasures; marketing and advertising controls; minimum legal drinking age laws; screening, brief intervention and referral programs; and liquor law enforcement. We also assess evidence-based strategies that more indirectly facilitate implementation of the direct policies mentioned above. These strategies include: control systems for the distribution and sale of alcohol; provincial and territorial alcohol strategies; monitoring and reporting of alcohol related harms; and health and safety messaging.

About the Federal CAPE Project

The federal CAPE Project is a rigorous assessment of the extent to which evidence-based alcohol policies have been implemented by the federal government in Canada. The study design is based on a similar model conceived of and implemented by MADD Canada assessing the progress of policy measures to reduce impaired driving. The types of alcohol policies being evaluated at the provincial and territorial level include those with direct evidence of direct effectiveness as a means of reducing population level consumption of alcohol and/or related harms such as: pricing and taxation; physical availability of alcohol; impaired driving countermeasures; marketing and advertising controls; minimum legal drinking age laws; and screening, brief intervention and referral programs. We also assess evidence-based strategies that more indirectly facilitate implementation of the direct policies mentioned above. These strategies include: control systems for the distribution and sale of alcohol; a national alcohol strategy; monitoring and reporting of alcohol related harms; and health and safety messaging.

About the 2013 Provincial CAPE Project

The 2013 provincial alcohol policy evaluation report provided an initial systematic and comparative review of policies and programs across all Canadian provinces which have the potential to reduce the considerable health and social harms from alcohol. The overall objective was to encourage greater uptake of these practices and thereby improve public health and safety in Canada. The study design was based on a similar model conceived and implemented by MADD Canada assessing the progress of policy measures to reduce impaired driving (see 2015 Provincial Impaired Driving Report).

Funding bodies

  • 2022-23 Provincial, Territorial, and Federal CAPE Project (CAPE 3.0): Health Canada, Substance Use and Addictions Program
  • 2022 Provincial, Territorial, and Federal CAPE Project (CAPE 3.0): Public Health Agency of Canada
  • 2021 CAPE Community of Practice (CAPE 3.0): Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council Connection Grant
  • 2019 Provincial and Territorial CAPE Project (CAPE 2.0): Health Canada, Substance Use and Addictions Program
  • 2019 Federal CAPE Project (CAPE 2.0): Public Health Agency of Canada
  • 2013 Provincial CAPE Project (CAPE 1.0): Canadian Institutes of Health Research

CAPE 2.0 Provincial and Territorial Reports and Summaries (2019)

CAPE 2.0 Federal Report (2019)

CAPE 1.0 Provincial Reports (2013)

CAPE Presentations and Webinars

Infographics and Fact Sheets

Academic Journal Articles

Media Releases

Media Coverage

CAPE 2.0

CAPE 1.0

Researchers

  • Mark Asbridge (Co-Investigator | Dalhousie University, NS )
  • Dr. Russell Callaghan (Co-Investigator |Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research, University of Victoria, BC; University of Northern British Columbia, BC)
  • Dr. Marilou Gagnon (Co-Investigator | Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research, University of Victoria, BC)
  • Norman Giesbrecht (Co-Principal Investigator | Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, ON)
  • Robert Mann (Senior Scientist, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON )
  • Dr. Tim Naimi (Co-Principal Investigator | Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research, University of Victoria, BC)
  • Jacob Shelley (Co-Investigator | Health Ethics, Law & Policy (HELP) Lab, Western University, ON)
  • Dr. Adam Sherk (Co-Investigator | Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research, University of Victoria, BC)
  • Kevin Shield (Co-Investigator | Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, ON)
  • Robert Solomon (Co-Investigator | Western University, ON)
  • Dr. Tim Stockwell (Co-Principal Investigator | Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research, University of Victoria, BC)
  • Dr. Kara Thompson (Co-Investigator | St. Francis Xavier University, NS)
  • Fariha Alam (Research Associate, Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research, University of Victoria, BC)
  • Amanda Farrell-Low (Communications Officer, Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research, University of Victoria, BC)
  • Kate Vallance (Research Associate, Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research, Victoria, BC)
  • Nicole Vishnevsky (Research Assistant, Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research, University of Victoria, BC)
  • Ashley Wettlaufer (Methods Specialist, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, ON)
  • Julie McEachern (Project Coordinator | Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research, University of Victoria, BC)
  • Tina Price (Project Coordinator | Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research, University of Victoria, BC)
  • Bella Priore (Research Assistant | Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research, University of Victoria, BC)