STUDENT SAFETY IN NOVA SCOTIA: A Review of the Policies and Practices to Reduce the Harmful Effects of the Overconsumption of Alcohol

February, 2014

PREPARED BY: Martell Consulting Services Ltd.

PREPARED FOR: Students Nova Scotia

STUDENTSNS.CA 1649 Barrington Street, Halifax, NS B3J 1Z9 !

TABLE!OF!CONTENTS! !

Executive!Summary!...... !i ! Glossary!of!Terms!...... !ii! 1.0! Introduction!...... !1! 1.1! StudentsNS!...... !1! 1.2! Study!Objectives!...... !2! 1.3! Study!Approach!and!Scope!...... !2! 1.4!! Study!Methodology!...... !3! 1.5! Study!Limitations!...... !4! 1.6! Acknowledgements!...... !5! 1.7! Overview!of!the!Report!...... !5! 2.0! Alcohol!Consumption!in!Nova!Scotia!and!on!Nova!Scotia!Campuses!...... !7! 2.1! Statistics!on!Alcohol!Consumption!...... !7! 2.1.1! Drinking!on!Campus!...... !8! 2.2!! Rise!in!Drinking!Rates!Among!Young!Women!...... !9! 2.2.1! Underage!Drinking!Patterns!Among!Nova!Scotian!Youth!...... !9! 2.3! !Harms!Associated!with!Heavy!Drinking!...... !10! 2.3.1! Type!of!Harms!experienced!due!to!Heavy!Drinking!...... !11! 2.4! The!Culture!of!Alcohol!on!Campus!...... !11! 2.4.1! Rapid!Consumption!of!Alcohol!...... !12! 2.4.2! Peer!Expectations!...... !12! 2.4.3! PreXDrinking!...... !12! 2.4.4! Drinking!Games!and!Trophies!...... !12! 2.4.5! Increase!in!Heavy!Drinking!by!Female!Students!...... !13! 2.4.7! Physical!Injuries!...... !14! 2.4.8! Disruption!to!Other!Students!...... !15! 2.5! Student!Union!Bars!and!Pubs!...... !15! 2.5.1! The!Role!of!the!Student!Bar!in!Student!Safety!...... !16! 2.5.2! Comparison!of!Campus!Bar!NonXCompliance!Rates!to!Private!Licensees!...... !17! 3.0! Environmental!Strategies:!A!Review!of!Student!Union!Alcohol!Policies!&! Practices!...... !19! 3.1! Comparison!of!Campus!Bar!policies!to!‘Best!Practices’!...... !19! 3.1.1! Standard!Operating!Procedures!for!Campus!Bars!...... !20! 3.1.2! Beverage!Service!and!Restrictions!...... !21! 3.1.3! Additional!Safety!and!Transportation!Policies!...... !23! 3.1.4!! Responsibility!for!Campus!Bars:!Student!Union!or!Administration?!...... !23! 3.2! Advertising!Policies!...... !35! 3.3! Event!Risk!Assessment!Procedures!...... !36! 3.4! House!Councils!and!Societies!...... !39! 4.0! Individual!Strategies:!Other!Opportunities!for!Student!Union!Influence!...... !40! 4.1! Changing!the!Culture!...... !40! 4.!1.1! DeXnormalize!Heavy!Drinking!...... !41! 4.1.2! Providing!Options!that!Support!Relationship!and!Community!Building!...... !44! !

4.2! Peer!Led!Programs!...... !46! 4.2.1! Acadia’s!Red!and!Blue!Crew!...... !46! 4.2.2! Dalhousie!Faculty!of!Agriculture’s!RESPECT!Team!...... !47! 4.2.3! MSVU!Crew!...... !49! 4.2.4! University!of!Saskatchewan!...... !49! 5.0! Recommendations!to!Student!Leadership!...... !51! 5.1! For!Student!Union!Action!...... !51! 5.1.1! Immediate!...... !51! 5.1.2! FollowXup!and!Complementary!...... !51! 5.1.3! Environmental!Interventions!...... !52! 5.1.4! Individual!Interventions!...... !52! 5.2! For!Student!Union!Advocacy!...... !53! ! 1!

1.0 Introduction! ! This!report!presents!a!further!examination!of!the!role!that!student!unions!can!play!in!student! safety!across!six!Nova!Scotia!campuses.!It!provides!an!overview!of!the!alcohol!culture!on!Nova! Scotia!campuses,!details!what!student!unions!are!presently!doing!to!ensure!the!safe! consumption!of!alcohol,!and!offers!suggestions,!drawn!from!best!practices,!on!further!steps! student!unions!can!take!to!reduce!harms!associated!with!the!overconsumption!of!alcohol.!! ! The!report!is!a!companion!piece!to!the!StudentsNS!report:!“Student!Safety!in!Nova!Scotia:!A! Review!of!Student!Union!Polices!and!Practices!to!Prevent!Sexual!Violence”!(January!2014).! ! The!research!was!conducted!for!StudentsNS!by!Martell!Consulting!Services!Ltd.!and!was!made! possible!with!support!from!six!participating!student!unions:!

• Acadia!Students’!Union! • Cape!Breton!University!Students’!Union! • Dalhousie!Agricultural!Students’!Association! • Mount!St.!Vincent!University!Students’!Union! • St.!Francis!Xavier!University!Students’!Union! • St.!Mary’s!University!Students’!Association! ! Additional!funding!was!provided!by!the!Province!of!Nova!Scotia!and!Cape!Breton!University.! ! 1.1! StudentsNS! ! Students!Nova!Scotia!is!the!primary!advocacy!organization!representing!Nova!Scotia’s!postX secondary!students,!with!over!38,000!members!within!eight!independent!campus!associations.! The!organization!has!a!mandate!to!promote!the!quality!of!postXsecondary!education,!including! ensuring!that!it!supports!students’!lifelong!wellness.!Alcohol!harms!are!among!the!most!serious! health!issues!impacting!on!Nova!Scotia’s!students.!Nova!Scotia!student!unions!are!eager!to! ensure!their!activities!are!protecting!and!enhancing!students’!safety!and!wellbeing.! ! This!report!complements!the!Review!of!Student!Union!Policies!and!Practices!to!Prevent!Sexual! Violence!released!in!January!2014.!A!Student!Wellness!Conference!at!Acadia!University,!March! 21,!will!bring!together!student!leaders!from!across!Nova!Scotia!to!discuss!the!two!review! documents!and!next!steps.!Alcohol!consumption!is!a!reality!of!student!life!in!Nova!Scotia,!but! the!ways!students!drink!can!and!must!change.! ! ! ii!

Glossary(of(Terms! Note:!Throughout!this!report,!as!is!commonly!the!case,!the!terms!heavy!drinking,!hazardous,! harmful!drinking!and!high;risk!drinking!are!used!interchangeably.!!The!literature!would!suggest! that!the!most!current!practice!is!to!use!the!term!“high;risk!drinking”,!which!is!considered! drinking!anything!above!what!is!contained!in!Canada’s!Low!Risk!Alcohol!Drinking!Guidelines.1!

Best!practices:!Best!practices!are!interventions,!programs/services,!strategies,!or!policies! which!have!demonstrated!desired!changes!through!the!use!of!appropriate!well!documented! research!or!evaluation!methodologies.!They!have!demonstrated,!through!multiple! implementations,!the!ability!to!be!replicated!and!the!potential!to!be!adapted!and!transferred.!A! best!practice!is!one!that!is!most!suitable!given!the!available!evidence!and!particular!situation!or! context.2!

Binge!drinking:!Is!defined!as!having!many!drinks!on!one!occasion:!five!or!more!drinks!for!a! male,!or!four!or!more!drinks!for!a!female.3!

Drunkorexia:!The!term!given!to!selfXimposed!starvation!or!binge!eating/purging!combined! with!alcohol!abuse.!A!study!by!the!University!of!Missouri!and!cited!in!Wikipedia!shows!that! female!college!students!engage!in!a!combination!of!selfXimposed!malnutrition!and!heavy! drinking!to!avoid!weight!gain!from!alcohol!and!male!students!engage!in!similar!behaviour!to! save!money.4!!

Dry:!The!term!given!to!social!events!on!campus!where!alcohol!is!not!served.!

HighXRisk!Drinking:!Is!defined!as!drinking!five!or!more!drinks!for!males,!four!or!more!drinks! for!females!on!any!occasion!at!least!monthly.5!!

Sexual!Assault:!Is!defined!as!any!unwanted!act!of!a!sexual!nature!imposed!by!one!person! upon!another!and!includes!such!activities!as!kissing,!fondling,!oral!or!anal!sex,!intercourse,!or! other!forms!of!penetration!without!consent.! • Sexual!assault!can!occur!in!a!dating!relationship!or!a!marriage! • Sexual!assault!can!happen!between!people!of!the!same!sex! • Sexual!assault!is!an!offence!under!the!Criminal!Code!of!Canada.! ! Wet!event:!The!term!given!to!special!events!on!campus!where!alcohol!is!served.!

Wet/dry!event:!The!term!given!to!social!events!on!campus!that!are!open!to!both!underage! students!and!students!who!are!of!age!and!where!alcohol!is!present.!All!students!are!required!to! signXin!and!show!students!IDs;!different!coloured!bracelets!are!handed!out!to!distinguish!the! underage!students!from!the!ofXage!students ! 1!

1.0 Introduction! ! This!report!presents!a!further!examination!of!the!role!that!student!unions!can!play!in!student! safety!across!six!Nova!Scotia!campuses.!It!provides!an!overview!of!the!alcohol!culture!on!Nova! Scotia!campuses,!details!what!student!unions!are!presently!doing!to!ensure!the!safe! consumption!of!alcohol,!and!offers!suggestions,!drawn!from!best!practices,!on!further!steps! student!unions!can!take!to!reduce!harms!associated!with!the!overconsumption!of!alcohol.!! ! The!report!is!a!companion!piece!to!the!StudentsNS!report:!“Student!Safety!in!Nova!Scotia:!A! Review!of!Student!Union!Polices!and!Practices!to!Prevent!Sexual!Violence”!(January!2014).! ! The!research!was!conducted!for!StudentsNS!by!Martell!Consulting!Services!Ltd.!and!was!made! possible!with!support!from!six!participating!student!unions:!

• Acadia!Students’!Union! • Cape!Breton!University!Students’!Union! • Dalhousie!Agricultural!Students’!Association! • Mount!St.!Vincent!University!Students’!Union! • St.!Francis!Xavier!University!Students’!Union! • St.!Mary’s!University!Students’!Association! ! Additional!funding!was!provided!by!the!Province!of!Nova!Scotia!and!Cape!Breton!University.! ! 1.1! StudentsNS! ! Students!Nova!Scotia!is!the!primary!advocacy!organization!representing!Nova!Scotia’s!postX secondary!students,!with!over!38,000!members!within!eight!independent!campus!associations.! The!organization!has!a!mandate!to!promote!the!quality!of!postXsecondary!education,!including! ensuring!that!it!supports!students’!lifelong!wellness.!Alcohol!harms!are!among!the!most!serious! health!issues!impacting!on!Nova!Scotia’s!students.!Nova!Scotia!student!unions!are!eager!to! ensure!their!activities!are!protecting!and!enhancing!students’!safety!and!wellbeing.! ! This!report!complements!the!Review!of!Student!Union!Policies!and!Practices!to!Prevent!Sexual! Violence!released!in!January!2014.!A!Student!Wellness!Conference!at!Acadia!University,!March! 21,.2!will!bring!together!student!leaders!from!across!Nova!Scotia!to!discuss!the!two!review! documents!and!next!steps.!Alcohol!consumption!is!a!reality!of!student!life!in!Nova!Scotia,!but! the!ways!students!drink!can!and!must!change.! ! ! 2!

1.2! Study!Objectives! ! The!overall!goal!of!the!study!is!to!provide!student!unions!with!a!set!of!best!practices!relating!to! the!safe!consumption!of!alcohol.!Participating!student!unions!intend!to!use!the!report!to!reduce! the!negative!impacts!of!overconsumption!of!alcohol!and!in!so!doing,!expect!to!make!their! students!more!safe!and!improve!their!relationships!with!regulatory!bodies,!their!local! communities!(town!and!cities!that!host!the!universities)!and!their!membership.! ! Specific!objectives!of!the!study!are!to:! ! • Analyze!what!individual!student!unions!are!doing!regarding!alcohol!related!policies!and! practices;! • Provide!student!unions!with!comparative!information!on!their!provincial!peers;!and! • Provide!recommendations!on!steps!individual!student!unions!can!take!to!encourage!and! support!safe!alcohol!consumption.! ! Supporting!objectives!include!identifying!the!roles!and!responsibilities!of!student!unions!in:!

• Shaping!student!attitudes!and!behavior!towards!alcohol!consumption;! • Providing!students!with!healthy!and!safe!programming!options;! • Fostering!safety!and!healthy!attitudes!around!alcohol!in!student!union!run!bars!and! (where!applicable)!student!residences;! • Ensuring!student!safety!including!when!they!return!home!after!partaking!in!student! activities!where!alcohol!is!available;!and! • Ensuring!that!student!union!staff!(bar!management,!servers,!security)!are!adequately! trained!with!respect!to!safe!and!healthy!consumption!of!alcohol.! ! The!report!also!looked!at:!

• What!constitutes!safe!consumption!of!alcohol;! • What!constitutes!healthy!attitudes!around!alcohol;!and! • What!constitutes!heavy!drinking!and!why!and!when!is!it!a!problem.! !

1.3! Study!Approach!and!Scope! ! In!spring!of!2012,!the!Nova!Scotia!Department!of!Health!and!Wellness!published!a!report! entitled!“Reducing!Alcohol!Harms!among!University!Students:!Summary!of!Best!Practices“.! Referred!to!as!the!Strang!Report,!it!provides!a!framework!for!universities!to!reduce!alcohol! harms!by!focussing!on!three!types!of!interventions:!

• Individual:!Programs!and!policies!that!can!change!individual!student!behaviour.!! • Environmental:!Programs!and!policies!that!alter!the!drinking!environment!to!provide!a! safer!drinking!culture.! ! 3!

• Systems:!Changes!outside!of!the!specific!university!context!that!will!lead!to!the! implementation!of!population!level!alcohol!policies.! ! For!each!of!these!interventions,!the!Strang!report!identified!a!set!of!best!practices!aimed!at! reducing!harmful!student!drinking.!It!also!recommended!that!universities!include!as!many! elements!as!possible!from!each!of!the!three!types!of!interventions!in!their!policies!in!order!to! achieve!the!greatest!impact.! ! The!focus!of!this!present!report!is!on!identifying!areas!that!student!unions!can!directly!impact! such!as!student!unionXrun!bars,!special!events!and!activities!organized!by!the!student!union!or! campus!societies!or!house!councils,!all!areas!of!influence!that!can!be!impacted!by! environmental!interventions.!! ! Best!practices!for!environmental!interventions!relevant!to!student!union!influence!were!drawn! from!the!Strang!report!and!compiled!into!table!format;!and!used!as!the!standard!against!which! policies!and!practices!from!the!six!participating!student!unions!were!compared.! ! Individual!interventions!affecting!student!behaviour!also!fell!within!the!scope!of!this!present! report.!Best!practices!relating!to!individual!interventions!were!reviewed!and!compared!against!a! variety!of!interventions!in!place!across!the!six!participating!campuses.! ! Systems!interventions!offer!student!unions!unique!opportunities!for!collaboration!with! university!leadership!as!well!as!with!municipal,!provincial!and!federal!governments.!The!Acadia! Students’!Union!offers!a!prime!example!where!student!leaders!have!worked!collaboratively!to! effect!change!at!a!wider!university!policy!level!and!also!at!the!municipal!and!provincial!levels.!! For!the!purposes!of!this!review!however,!recommendations!relating!to!systems!interventions! have!been!focussed!primarily!on!the!role!that!student!unions!can!play!in!advocacy!to!both! university!leadership!and!government.!Detailed!research!on!student!unions’!role!in!systems! interventions!was!not!included!in!the!scope!of!the!study.! ! ! ! Example!of!a!Systems!Intervention! ! ! The!Community!Health!Board!in!Kingston/Greenwood!accessed! ! funding!from!the!Mental!Health!and!Addictions!Strategy!for!a! ! “Municipal!Alcohol!Project”!in!2014.!Partners!include!the! ! Municipality!of!the!County!of!Kings,!the!AVDHA!Mental! ! Health/Addiction!Services,!NSCC,!Acadia!including!the!student! ! union!and!local!high!schools.! ! !! ! !

1.4!! Study!Methodology! ! In!planning!the!study,!Martell!Consulting!Services!Ltd.!worked!collaboratively!with!a!steering! committee!set!up!by!StudentsNS!to!oversee!the!research.!The!committee!was!chaired!by!the! ! 4!

President!of!the!Acadia!Students’!Union!and!included!representatives!from!each!of!the! remaining!five!participating!student!unions.!The!Executive!Director!of!StudentsNS!served!in!an! advisory!role.!! ! The!steering!committee!played!a!key!role!in!identifying!respondents!to!interview!on!campus!and! compiling!an!interview!schedule.!Campus!interviews!were!conducted!over!a!sixXweek!period! beginning!early!October!2013.!Each!campus!was!visited!over!two!to!four!days.!! ! In!total,!some!73!student!union!and!university!representatives!were!interviewed!for!the!study.! Some!were!interviewed!in!a!group!setting;!most!were!interviewed!individually.!Respondents! interviewed!included:! • Student!Union!executive! • Student!Bar!management! • Student!Services/Student!Life! • Student!Health!Centre! • Safety!and!Security! • Housing/Residence!Life! • Athletics!Department!! • Counselling!Services! • Sexual!Diversity!Centre! • Women’s!Centre! ! A!further!eight!interviews!were!held!with!offXcampus!health!experts!including!regional!staff! from!Prevention!and!Health!Promotion,!Mental!Health!and!Addiction!Services;!the!Avalon! Sexual!Assault!Centre,!Alternatives!in!Western!Nova!Scotia,!the!Antigonish!Women’s!Resource! Centre!and!Sexual!Assault!Services!Association,!and!Venus!Envy.!In!addition,!the!consultant! attended!two!workshops!over!the!study!timeframe!addressed!to!women,!sexual!violence!and! the!link!to!alcohol.! ! Statistics!were!reviewed!to!frame!the!discussion!on!alcohol!consumption!on!Canadian! campuses;!as!well!as!a!limited!review!was!made!of!approaches!taken!by!other!Canadian!student! unions!on!reducing!the!harms!from!alcohol.! ! 1.5! Study!Limitations! ! The!tight!timing!required!by!the!interview!schedule!meant!that!not!all!potential!respondents! were!available!on!the!days!identified!for!the!campus!visits.!In!those!instances!the!consultant! attempted!to!either!make!a!repeat!campus!visit!while!driving!back!from!a!different!campus!or! do!an!interview!by!phone.!Student!class!schedules!also!caused!some!difficulties!on!some! campuses!in!scheduling!extended!interviews.!! ! While!it!was!initially!intended!to!hold!a!series!of!group!discussions!with!students!across!the! campuses,!this!methodology!was!discarded!due!to!the!difficulty!of!planning!group!discussions! within!the!time!restrictions!of!the!campus!visits.!! ! ! 5!

Timing!precluded!undertaking!an!extensive!independent!literature!review.!Instead,!the! methodology!drew!primarily!upon!the!research!undertaken!and!reported!in!the!Strang!report! (2102),!with!some!additional!effort!looking!into!practices!across!Canadian!campuses!(University! of!Saskatchewan,!Queen’s!University,!Guelph!University!and!Carleton!University).! ! Finally,!while!StudentsNS!acknowledges!the!critical!role!that!Residence!policies!and!staff!play!in! student!safety,!the!decision!was!taken!not!to!include!an!analysis!of!university!residential!policies! relating!to!alcohol!and!alcohol!consumption!in!residence.!While!data!were!collected!on! Residence!policies!across!the!six!participating!campuses,!it!was!determined!that!as!residences! fall!outside!the!direct!scope!of!student!union!influence,!not!to!include!an!analysis!of!said!data.! This!is!an!area,!however,!that!the!Department!of!Health!and!Wellness!and!universities!may!want! to!investigate!further.! ! 1.6! Acknowledgements! ! The!author!and!StudentsNS!would!like!to!express!our!appreciation!to!all!those!who!participated! in!interviews!and!discussions!during!the!preparation!of!this!report.!Special!thanks!to!the! StudentsNS!Alcohol!Project!Steering!Committee!representatives:!Committee!Chair!and!Acadia! Students’!Union!President!Matthew!Rios,!Saint!Mary’s!University!Students’!Association! President!Gorba!Bhandari,!Dalhousie!Agricultural!Students!Association!VP!Internal!Jessica! Compagnon,!Mount!Saint!Vincent!University!Students’!Union!President!Zach!Gallant,!StFX! Students’!Union!President!Benjamin!GunnXDoerge,!and!Cape!Breton!University!Students’!Union! President!Matthew!Latimer.!! ! This!report!would!not!have!been!possible!without!the!leadership!of!the!student!union! executives!and!councils!who!agreed!to!provide!funding!for!this!work,!along!with!the!Nova!Scotia! Department!of!Health!and!Wellness!and!Cape!Breton!University.! ! 1.7! Overview!of!the!Report! ! The!report!is!organized!into!an!executive!summary,!a!glossary!of!terms!and!five!chapters.!

• Chapter!One:! Introduces!the!research,!describes!the!approach!and!methodology,!sets! out!the!study!limitations!and!provides!acknowledgements.! ! • Chapter!Two:! Presents!comparative!data!on!drinking!patterns!of!the!Nova!Scotia! population!and!the!general!Canadian!population;!and!drinking!patterns!of!students!on! Nova!Scotia!campuses!and!students!on!other!Canadian!campuses.!It!also!presents! insights!on!the!alcohol!culture!on!Nova!Scotia!campuses!drawn!from!the!campus! interviews.! ! ! 6!

• Chapter!Three:!Presents!an!assessment!of!policies!and!practices!in!place!at!each!of!the! six!student!unionXrun!bars!against!a!set!of!standards!identified!as!best!practices!for!bar! management!and!serving!practices.!It!also!looks!at!advertising!policies!relating!to!bar! operations!and!the!alcohol!industry;!and!risk!assessment!procedures!in!place!across!the! six!campuses!for!all!student!events.! ! • Chapter!Four:!Looks!at!ways!that!student!unions!and!other!student!leaders!can! contribute!to!healthy!community!building,!and!provides!examples!of!studentXled! initiatives!addressed!to!the!reduction!of!student!high!risk!drinking.! !! • Chapter!Five:!Provides!student!unions!with!a!series!of!recommendations!designed!to! reduce!heavy!drinking!on!campus,!enhance!student!safety!and!shift!the!culture!to!one! of!moderate!alcohol!consumption.! ! ! 7!

2.0!Alcohol&Consumption&in&Nova&Scotia& and$on$Nova$Scotia$Campuses!!

!“What!the!issue!comes!down!to!is!not!that!students!on!Nova!Scotia! campuses!drink,!it!is!how!they!drink.”! ! This!chapter!draws!upon!several!Canadian!surveys!to!compare!drinking!patterns!among! the!general!Canadian!population!to!those!of!the!Nova!Scotia!population;!as!well!as! compare!drinking!patterns!of!students!on!Nova!Scotia!campuses!to!those!of!students!on! other!Canadian!campuses.!Campus!visits!and!interviews!provide!further!insights!into!the! alcohol!culture!on!campus.!! 2.1! Statistics!on!Alcohol!Consumption! ! Data!available!from!the!2012!Canadian!Community!Health!Survey!indicate!that!Nova! Scotians!are!among!the!heaviest!drinkers!in!Canada.!Heavy!drinking!was!defined!in!that! survey!as!‘five!or!more!drinks!at!a!sitting’.!The!survey!notes!that:!

• The!2012!Nova!Scotia!rate!of!heavy!drinking!(combined!for!males!and!females)!is! higher!than!the!Canadian!average!(22.3%!compared!to!17.4%)!with!the!Nova! Scotia!rate!being!the!3rd!highest!when!compared!to!other!provinces/territories.! North!West!Territories!has!the!highest!rate!(31.7%)!followed!by!Yukon!(22%).! • The!2012!heavy!drinking!rate!among!males!in!Nova!Scotia!is!also!3rd!highest!in!the! country!up!from!an!8th!ranking!in!2011.!The!male!heavy!drinking!rate!increased! from!27.8%!in!2011!to!30.6%!in!2012.!Males!in!Newfoundland!and!Labrador!had! the!highest!rate!(40.2%)!followed!by!North!West!Territories!(39.4%).! • The!heavy!drinking!rate!among!females!in!Nova!Scotia!has!also!increased,!from! 13.5%!in!2011!to!14.7%!in!2012.!This!heavy!drinking!rate!among!females!is!the!5th! highest!in!Canada,!up!from!6th!position!in!2011.!Females!in!North!West!Territories! had!the!highest!rate!(31.%)!followed!by!Nunavut!(20.4%),!Yukon!(16.7%)!and! Newfoundland!and!Labrador!(14.8%).! ! ! ! ! Canada’s!Low]Risk!Alcohol!Drinking!Guidelines!recommend:!

XUp!to!15!drinks!a!week!for!males!(with!NO!MORE!than!three!drinks!on! most!days)!

XUp!to!10!drinks!a!week!for!females!(with!NO!MORE!than!two!drinks!on! most!days).!

published!2011!!

! ! 8!

2.1.1! Drinking!on!Campus! ! Heavy!drinking!is!common!among!both!male!and!female!students!on!Nova!Scotia! campuses,!echoing!the!high!rate!of!drinking!among!high!school!students!in!Nova!Scotia! and!the!general!Nova!Scotia!population.! ! The!2004!Canadian!Campus!Survey6,!which!gathered!information!from!a!random!sample! of!6,282!fullXtime!undergraduates!across!40!Canadian!campuses,!indicates!that!more!than! half!of!all!university!students!surveyed!in!Nova!Scotia!reported!engaging!in!heavy!drinking! with!27.2!per!cent!drinking!heavily!at!least!weekly!and!24.6!per!cent!drinking!heavily!less! than!weekly.!! ! These!drinking!patterns!are!significantly!higher!than!those!found!on!other!university! campuses!across!Canada,!where!18.4!per!cent!of!university!students!reported!heavy! frequent!use!and!13.1!per!cent!reported!heavy!infrequent!use.!!

A!higher!percentage!of!Nova!Scotia!university!students!also!engage!in!hazardous!and! harmful!drinking!(a!pattern!of!drinking!that!causes!damage!to!health,!either!physical!or! mental)!than!do!other!Canadian!university!students!(49.7%!compared!to!34.8%).7!! ! Figure!1!compares!Nova!Scotia!university!student!alcohol!usage!to!other!Canadian! university!students.!While!the!data!indicate!similar!patterns!in!usage!between!Nova!Scotia! and!other!Canadian!university!students!in!both!the!past!year!(95.1!per!cent!of!NS! university!students!consumed!alcohol!versus!95.2!per!cent!of!other!Canadian!students)! and!the!past!month!(92.5!per!cent!versus!89.8!per!cent),!the!data!on!heavy!drinking!and! hazardous/harmful!drinking!emerge!as!red!flags!to!student!leadership,!university! administration,!parents!and!health!professionals!alike.!

95.1%!95.2%! 100%! 92.5%! 89.8%! Nova!Scopa!Universipes! 90%! Other!Canadian!Universipes! 80%! 70%! 60%! 51.7%! 49.7%! 50%!

40%! 34.8%! 31.5%! 30%! 20%! 10%! 0%! Past!Year!Use! Past!Month!Use! Heavy!Drinking!Panern! Hazardous/Harmful!Drinking! (Audit!8+)!

1 !Figure!1: Alcohol!Use!Among!Undergraduate!Students!at!Nova!Scotia!and!Other!! ! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Canadian!Universities,!20048

! 9!

2.2!! Rise!in!Drinking!Rates!Among!Young!Women! ! ! Drinking!among!women,!and!in!particular!young!women,!is!on!the!rise.!This!trend!has!been! identified!across!North!America!both!off!and!on!campus,!including!Nova!Scotia!campuses.! ! The!2012!Canadian!Community!Health!Survey!which!compared!selfXreported!alcohol! consumption!rates!for!males!and!females!in!Canada!between!2003!and!2009X2010,!showed!no! statistically!significant!change!in!risky!alcohol!consumption!for!males!aged!15!and!over.!! ! Data!on!females!age!15!and!over!on!the!other!hand,!showed!a!statistically!significant!increase! from!! 19.7!%!to!21.82%!over!the!same!period.! ! The!most!recent!results!from!the!Canadian!Community!Health!Survey!also!report!a!decrease!in! heavy!drinking!among!males!(down!from!26.8%!in!2011!to!24.3%!in!2012)!whereas!for!females,! it!indicated!no!significant!change!from!2011!(10.7%!compared!to!11.4%).!! ! The!alcohol!industry!was!cited!in!large!measure!for!the!increase!in!women’s!drinking!of!hard! liquor,!citing!the!popularity!of!coloured!bottles,!catchy!ads!as!well!as!high!sugar!content!to!mask! the!taste!of!liquor.!The!recent!film,!Killing!Us!Softly:!Advertising’s!Image!of!Women!documents,! in!graphic!images,!the!tie!between!the!rise!in!women’s!drinking!and!the!alcohol!industry’s! marketing!practices.! ! ! ! “More! women! are! drinking,! and! the! women! who! drink! are! drinking! ! more,! in! some! cases! matching! their! male! peers.! This! is! the! kind! of! ! equality!nobody!was!fighting!for.”! ! ! –!New!York!Magazine,!December!2008.! ! ! ! 2.2.1! Underage!Drinking!Patterns!Among!Nova!Scotian!Youth! ! While!data!on!alcohol!consumption!among!students!by!gender!on!Nova!Scotia!campuses!are!not! available,!data!do!exist!on!drinking!patterns!by!gender!among!underage!Nova!Scotian!youth.!!

The!Alcohol!Indicators!Report!(2011)!notes!that!the!Student!Drug!Use!Surveys!(implemented!in! randomly!selected!classes,!grades!7,!8,!10!and!12,!across!Nova!Scotia!since!1991)!show!a! reduction!in!heavy!drinking!by!underage!males!between!2002!and!2007!yet!an!increase!in!heavy! drinking!by!underage!female!over!the!same!period,! ! In!2002!and!2007,!young!males!had!heavy!drinking!rates!of!31.1!and!28.3!percent,!respectively! while!young!females!had!heavy!drinking!rates!of!27.1!and!27.2!percent,!respectively.!Prior!to! those!years,!male!students!were!more!likely!to!report!heavy!drinking!than!female!students.! ! ! 10!

Overall!all!years,!heavy!drinking!increased!by!age.!These!patterns!suggest!that!Nova!Scotia! students!graduating!from!grade!12!likely!transfer!their!high!school!heavy!drinking!patterns!to! the!university!or!community!college!setting.! ! In!fact,!a!recent!study9!(2013)!that!followed!992!first!year!students!(average!age!18.4)!at!three! New!England!universities!has!found!that!female!students!were!more!likely!to!drink!more!than! male!students.!Students!were!asked!to!complete!an!online!survey!about!their!alcohol! consumption!every!two!years!over!the!academic!year,!in!which!they!indicated!their!daily! consumption!in!the!previous!7!days.!It!found!that!of!the!students!who!had!at!least!one!drink! during!the!year,!60!percent!of!males!and!64!percent!of!females!reported!exceeding!the!weekly! guidelines!at!least!once.!Males!were!slightly!more!likely!to!exceed!daily!limits!than!female! students,!28!percent!versus!25!percent.![Note:!American!guidelines!are!lower!than!Canadian! guidelines.!They!suggest!that!men!drink!no!more!than!four!drinks!daily!and!14!drinks!weekly;! and!women!no!more!than!three!drinks!a!day!and!seven!drinks!a!week.!]! ! Drinking!patterns!are!also!influenced!by!relationships.!Research!from!Dalhousie!University! (2012)10!among!young,!heterosexual!dating!couples!indicates!if!one!partner!drinks!heavily!the! chance!is!high!that!the!other!partner!will!also!be!drinking!heavily.!!

2.3! !Harms!Associated!with!Heavy!Drinking! ! Figure!2!is!a!rough!approximation!of!a!chart!taken!from!the!Alcohol!Indicators!Report!2011.!It! indicates!that!in!2007!approximately!26!percent!of!university!students!in!Nova!Scotia!reported! alcoholXrelated!problems!either!due!to!their!own!drinking!or!that!of!others!compared!to!19.5%! of!other!Canadian!university!students.!

30%! Nova!Scopa! Canada!

25%!

20%!

15%! 1995! 1996! 1997! 1998! 1999! 2000! 2001! 2002! 2003! 2004! 2005! 2006! 2007! ! ! Figure'2:!!Proportion!of!Students!Experiencing!Alcohol6Related!Harms!in!2004,!Nova!Scotia! ''''and!Other!Canadian!Universities! ! ! 11!

2.3.1! Type!of!Harms!experienced!due!to!Heavy!Drinking! ! The!type!of!harms!experienced!by!university!students!as!a!consequence!of!heavy!drinking!are! documented!in!the!Canadian!Campus!Survey!(2004).!Findings!indicate!that!almost!four!in!ten! university!students!in!Nova!Scotia!experienced:!

• having!a!serious!argument,!! • being!pushed,!hit!or!assaulted,!! One!consequence! • experiencing!sexual!harassment,!or!! of!heavy!drinking!is! • being!a!victim!of!sexual!assault!or!date!rape!as!a!result! death.! of!another!student’s!drinking.!! ! The!Canadian!Campus!Survey!also!found!that!almost!three!in!ten!students!have!had!unplanned! sex!or!unsafe!sex!due!to!their!own!drinking.! ! The!risk!of!injury!(concussion!or!broken!bones!from!alcoholXinduced!falls)!or!death!from!acute! alcoholXrelated!harm!increases!with!the!amount!of!alcohol!consumed!at!a!sitting.! ! Two!Queen’s!University!students,!and!one!St.!Thomas!student,!died!in!2010!as!a!result!of!heavy! drinking.!In!2011!an!Acadia!University!student!died!as!a!result!of!heavy!drinking.!

Women&and&Drinking.Related&Harms&

Canadian11!public!health!authorities!are!highlighting!that!young!women’s!heavy!drinking!habits! will!result!in!longXterm!harm!such!as!increased!risk!for!osteoporosis,!heart!disease,!stroke,!high! blood!pressure,!liver!disease!and!breast!cancer.!! ! 2.4! The!Culture!of!Alcohol!on!Campus! ! Heavy!drinking!among!students!was!confirmed!by!student! leadership!across!all!six!campuses!participating!in!the!research.! “All!agree!drinking!here!is!a! The!prevailing!attitude!on!campus!towards!drinking!was! must.!It’s!the!culture;!we! characterized!as,!“You!are!not!experiencing!university!correctly!if! get!shitXfaced!and!drink!to! you!are!not!partying.”!Heavy!drinking!has!become!so!normalized! the!limit.”! in!the!culture!that!students!in!general!do!not!see!it!as!an!issue! but!rather!as!their!‘way!of!life’.! X!Male!University!Student! ! Respondents!linked!the!culture!of!heavy!drinking!on!campus!to! ! the!province’s!overall!culture,!with!drinking!beginning!as!early! as!grade!seven!and!increasing!steadily!throughout!high!school.!Respondents!also!noted!that! during!the!junior!and!senior!high!years,!students!have!very!limited!access!to!education!on!the! harms!of!alcohol.!Underage!drinking!moves!onto!campus!as!most!firstXyear!students!are!18! years!of!age!and!the!legal!age!for!drinking!in!Nova!Scotia!is!19.!This!would!be!as!true!for!Nova! Scotia’s!community!college!system!as!it!is!for!universities.! ! ! 12!

2.4.1! Rapid!Consumption!of!Alcohol! ! “It’s!a!shots!culture,! Rapid!and!overconsumption!of!alcohol!is!prevalent!across! with!drinking!games! all!campuses!to!the!point!that!students!“can’t!remember,! and!getting! pass!out!and!vomit”.!ShotXgunning!of!alcohol!(consuming! hammered!fast…this! alcohol!at!a!high!rate!of!speed)!“is!huge”!on!many! comes!out!of!high! campuses!to!get!drunk!quickly!and!catch!up!to!the!party.!! school.!It’s!a!‘why! ! bother!drinking!if! There!were!also!reports!of!students!not!eating!before! you!can’t!get! drinking!in!order!to!save!calories!(drunkorexia),!get!drunk! sloshed’!attitude.”! faster!and!to!save!money.! X!Male!University! 2.4.2! Peer!Expectations! Student! ! There!are!peer!expectations!around!alcohol!overXconsumption!and!the!type!of!alcohol!! consumed!tied!to!gender.!One!Addictions!worker!shared!that,!“Male!students!are!expected!to! drink!a!12!pack!of!beer!or!a!bottle!of!rum!or!whiskey!(at!a!sitting).!These!are!‘masculine’!drinks! and!they!need!to!drink!the!whole!thing…they!are!considered!‘weak’!if!they!can’t!drink!it!all.”!! ! There!was!also!some!suggestion!that!students!are!aware!of!the!drinking!patterns!on!other! campuses!and!that!status!is!attached!to!outXdrinking!their!college!rivals.! !

2.4.3! PreXDrinking! ! PreXdrinking!by!students!in!their!rooms!before!going!to!the!campus! “It’s!not!just! bar!was!raised!on!each!campus!as!very!common!and!as!a!way!for! about!having!a! students!to!ensure!inebriation.!Cost!also!affects!location!of!drinking! beverage!it’s! and!encourages!preXdrinking.! about!having!an! ! outer!body! !“Students!are!money!conscious.!It’s!cheaper!to!drink!a!$2!bottle!of! experience.”! beer!from!the!NSLC!than!a!$5!beer!in!the![campus!bar].”!(Student! leader);!“Pre;drinking!was!not!as!big!when!shots!were!$1”!(Bar! X!Safety!&! manager);!and!”When!the!campus!pubs!offered!drinks!at!low!prices,! Security!staff! there!was!less!pre;drinking.!“!(Bar!manager).! ! ! 2.4.4! Drinking!Games!and!Trophies! ! Although!all!campuses!have!policies!that!ban!drinking!games!in!residence,!students!and!staff! alike!report!that!drinking!games!in!residence!are!common.!Residence!staff!report!that!noise! levels!are!the!trigger!for!resident!assistants!(RAs)!to!knock!on!student!doors;!students!on!the! other!hand!report!that!‘ratting!out!their!fellow!students’!is!something!that!some!RAs!find! difficult!to!do.!! ! ! 13!

Trophies!(empty!bottles)!are!also!banned!from!residences!yet!some!students!report!they,!like! drinking!games,!still!exist.! ! NekNomination!is!an!example!of!a!dangerous!drinking!challenge!that!has!recently!moved!onto! campuses!worldXwide.!!NekNomination!is!played!onXline,!the!aim!of!which!is!to!down!a!pint!of! alcohol!and!then!nominate!someone!else!to!do!the!same,!giving!them!a!window!of!25!hours!to! do!so.!Most!people!who!take!part!make!a!video!of!themselves!carrying!it!out,!and!post!it!on! social!media.!As!of!late!February!2014,!!five!young!people!in!Britain!have!died!as!a!result!of!the! game.! ! The!recent!response!by!both!Acadia!University!and!Mount!St.!Vincent!students!to! NekNomination!is!heartening,!showing!that!student!power!can!easily!change!what!is!a!very! dangerous!drinking!game,!into!RakNomination,!an!event!that!celebrates!random!acts!of! kindness.12!

2.4.5! Increase!in!Heavy!Drinking!by!Female!Students! ! Respondents!on!all!six!campuses!reported!an!increase!in!the!incidence!of!female!students! drinking!heavily;!preXdrinking!was!also!cited!as!common!for!female!students!as!for!male! students.!Campuses!health!providers,!safety!and!security!staff,!residence!staff,!student!services! staff!and!bar!managers!all!reported!similar!findings.! ! On!some!but!not!all!campuses,!women!were!seen!as!part!of!the!‘shot!culture!‘!and!matching! their!male!friends!drink!for!drink.!Bar!managers!reported!that!“It’s!very!common!for!women!to! take!several!shots!of!hard!liquor”;!and!“I!see!women!drinking!heavily,!keeping!up!with!their!male! colleagues…”!! !

“I!see!more!females!drinking!heavily!at!the!bar!today!than!when!I!went!to! college.!Today!it’s!more!50:50.!And!girls!are!more!open!to!talking!about!it!&!they! text!pictures!of!themselves!drinking.”!

X!Campus!bar!manager!

! !

2.4.6! Link!between!Overconsumption!and!Sexual!Assault!! ! “The!rape!culture!has!grown!with!the!drinking!culture.!It’s!normalized,!sex!and!drinking.! It’s!the!perfect!storm.”!(Student!union!leadership)! ! In!the!StudentsNS!review!(2014)!of!student!union!policies!and!practices!to!prevent!sexual! violence,!campus!health!professionals!were!reported!as!stating!that!as!high!as!90!to!95!percent! of!the!sexual!assaults!on!campus!fall!into!the!category!where!alcohol!has!inhibited!judgement! and!impaired!any!communication!around!consent.!! ! ! 14!

One!respondent!!went!so!far!as!to!say:! ! “If!the!university!takes!care!of!the!alcohol!problem,!then!sexual!assault!will!be! taken!care!of!(too).”!(Sexual!assault!nurse!examiner)! ! Much!of!the!conversation!was!related!to!potential!victims’!vulnerability:!! ! “So!often!the!girls!don’t!make!the!connection!until!it’s!too!late.!They’re!going!out!for!a! drink…but!then!they!can’t!think!straight!and!they!are!now!at!a!risk!for!sexual!assault.”! (Health!Centre!director)!! ! “When!the!female!students!are!overdrinking!they!lose!control,!they!pass!out!and!people! take!advantage!of!them.!This!is!a!common!occurrence!in!residence.”!(Student!Union! leadership)! ! As!argued!in!our!recent!review!on!sexual!assault!prevention,!individuals!can!and!do!use!alcohol! deliberately!to!disinhibit!themselves,!at!times!with!respect!to!sex,!and!in!these!circumstances! individuals! can! have! even! greater! difficulties! assessing! and! communicating! consent.! These! quotes! speak! to! a! legitimate! concern! about! the! vulnerability! created! by! overconsumption! of! alcohol,! but! the! emphasis! on! victims’! “risk”! in! consuming! alcohol! neglects! to! recognize! the! impacts!of!alcohol!on!a!person’s!likelihood!to!perpetrate!or!be!a!passive!bystander.!Perpetrators! can!use!alcohol!as!a!weapon,!while!it!can!also!feed!attitudes!and!judgements!that!may!lead!an! individual!to!commit!sexual!assault.!! ! “Alcohol!increases!the!likelihood!of!sexual!assault!occurring!among!acquaintances!during!social! interactions! through! several! interrelated! pathways…including! beliefs! about! alcohol,! deficits! in! higher!order!cognitive!processing!and!motor!impairments!induced!by!alcohol!and!peer!group! norms!that!encouraged!heavy!drinking!and!forced!sex.”!(Abbey,!2002).!! ! Perpetrators!of!sexual!assault!are!always!solely!responsible!for!their!actions.!There!needs!to!be! an!ongoing!dialogue!and!action!around!how!to!prevent!sexual!assaults,!much!of!which!must! focus!on!empowering!men!as!positive!bystanders.!At!the!same!time,!we!must!balance!women’s! right!to!be!unafraid!with!their!right!to!know!which!choices!may!make!them!vulnerable.!Certainly! the!evidence!does!suggest!that!reducing!heavy!drinking!across!our!communities!would!help! prevent!many!sexual!assaults.!! !

2.4.7! Physical!Injuries! ! Other!harms!cited!in!the!interviews!arising!from!overXconsumption!related!to!physical!injuries! arising!from!an!individual’s!overconsumption.!One!health!centre!director!reported!that!80! percent!of!her!emergency!calls!are!alcoholXrelated!and!that!in!September!2013,!all!of!her!calls!(8! in!total)!were!alcoholXrelated,!commenting!that!“September!is!a!very!dangerous!month.”! ! Security!Staff!from!a!number!of!campuses!spoke!to!the!particular!vulnerability!of!women!when! overXdrinking,!citing!examples!of!being!out!of!control,!falling!outside,!as!well!as!losing!their!cell! phones!and!their!ID!cards.! ! 15!

“This!week!a!group!of!4!friends!went!downtown!and!got!loaded.!All!were!drunk!and! one!was!very!drunk.!On!exiting!the!taxi!when!they!returned,!one!fell!and!hit!her!head! &!the!other!girls!carried!her!upstairs.!The!RA!immediately!called!the!RN!and!911!was! called.”!

X!University!employee!

! 2.4.8! Disruption!to!Other!Students! ! For!those!students!who!do!not!drink,!or!who!drink!in!moderation,!heavy!drinking!by!their!dormX mates!can!be!extremely!disruptive.!“There!is!too!much!noise!which!affects!studying;!dishes! shake!in!the!residence!rooms!because!the!noise!is!so!loud!from!partying”!and!“You!have!to!leave! your!room!to!get!any!studying!done”!are!the!experiences!shared!by!students!at!one!university.! Students!also!talked!about!the!vomit!that!gets!in!the!heating!vents!and!other!physical!damage! to!the!residences!caused!by!outXofXcontrol!students!when!engaging!in!heavy!drinking.!

2.5! Student!Union!Bars!and!Pubs! ! Each!of!the!six!participating!student!unions!runs!a! student!bar!on!their!campus.!The!bar!is!a!location!for! socializing,!a!venue!for!special!events!(both!dry!and! Advice!to!Student!Unions! wet)!a!source!of!fundraising!as!well!as!a!source!of! from!a!bar!manager:!“If!you! partXtime!employment!for!students.!! want!students!in!the!bar!to! ! act!like!humans,!treat!them! Over!the!past!few!years,!several!of!the!student!bars! like!humans.!Give!them! have!gone!through!major!reorganizations!with!a!view! respect!when!they!enter,! to!enhancing!student!safety.!Five!of!the!six!bar! put!in!place!bartender! managers!have!been!hired!within!the!past!4!–!5! training,!security!at!the! years.!Today’s!campus!bar!managers!bring! door,!a!signXin!policy,! professional!management!skills!and!experience!in!the! establish!policies!and! private!sector!to!the!position.!Interviews!indicate! processes!and!stick!with! they!are!on!top!of!the!Province’s!liquor!laws,!ensure! them.!‘No!one!gets!in!drunk.! their!door!and!bar!staff!have!the!appropriate!training! No!one’.”! and!monitor!staff!to!ensure!regulations!are!enforced.! As!one!bar!manager!noted,!“I!even!get!compliments! from!the!Province’s!liquor!inspectors.”! ! Some!recently!hired!bar!management!spoke!about!‘cleaning!up!the!bar’.!At!Cape!Breton! University!(CBU),!this!has!meant!“taking!The!Pit!from!a!place!where!it’s!known!for!fighting,!and! drinking!your!face!off,!to!a!place!where!students!can!socialize,!dance!and!have!fun!in!a!good! atmosphere…and!where!the!kids!feel!safe,!where!there!are!no!fights.“! ! ! 16!

Key!changes!implemented!at!the!CBU!bar!include!instituting! and!enforcing!a!signXin!policy!to!discourage!offXcampus! “I’m!hard!on!my!guys! visitors.!Three!years!ago,!the!bar!was!reportedly!a!favourite! but!they!know!what! dropXoff!spot!for!offXcampus!visitors,!drug!use!and!fights.! to!expect.!I!know!the! Today!90!percent!of!bar!patrons!are!CBU!students.!A! liquor!laws!and!the! second!change,!supported!by!the!local!liquor!inspector,! inspectors!and!I! keeps!The!Pit!open!to!1:40!am!(the!bar!stops!serving!at!1! expect!the!laws!to!be! am)!to!allow!the!students!to!dance!and!get!hydrated.!“We! kept!and!enforced.”! see!this!as!a!safety!measure.!It!also!ensures!that!students! don’t!leave!the!bar!en!masse!which!cuts!down!on!fighting! X!Bar!manager! and!shoving!when!waiting!for!a!cab!(as!the!majority!of!CBU! students!live!off;campus).”!(Bar!manager)! ! ! Management!at!Vinnie’s!Lounge,!the!studentXrun!bar!at!Mount!St.!Vincent!University!has!also! instituted!a!signXin!policy,!with!a!similar!objective!of!discouraging!offXcampus!visitors!to!the!bar.! All!guests!must!have!student!IDs!and!Security!is!alerted!if!anyone!underage!is!caught!drinking.! !

2.5.1! The!Role!of!the!Student!Bar!in!Student!Safety! ! All!campus!bars!make!their!space!available!for!allXage!special!events!which!allow!first!year! students!the!opportunity!to!have!fun!on!campus!outside!of!residence.!This!practice!is! encouraged!by!Residence!staff!because!it!“gets!the!first;years!out!of!their!rooms!where!they! would!otherwise!be!drinking”.!! ! Dangerous!drinking!by!underage!first!year!students!in!their!rooms!was! one!of!the!most!commonly!cited!concerns!by!Residence!staff.!At!the! “We!don’t!say! same!time!university!staff!across!the!campuses!recognize!that!banning! ‘don’t!drink’.! alcohol!from!residence!is!impractical.!Instead!Residence!staff!ensure! We!tell!them! that!their!resident!assistants!and!related!staff!receive!inXdepth!training! ‘do!it!this!way’.”! on!the!signs!of!intoxication!and!emergency!procedures;!and!that! programming!is!delivered!during!orientation!and!over!the!year!which! X!Housing! addresses!safe!drinking!practices!and!the!harms!that!can!result!from! Coordinator! risky!drinking.!! ! ! Special!events!held!in!the!bar!are!wet/dry!events!(with!the!exception!of!orientation!when!they! are!all!dry)!and!all!students!are!required!to!sign!in!showing!student!IDs.!Different!coloured! bracelets!are!given!out!to!identify!the!underage!from!the!older!students.!Sober!representatives! from!the!event’s!sponsoring!organization!are!also!required!to!be!in!attendance!as!an!increased! safety!measure.!Most!of!the!bar!managers!also!bring!in!extra!security!to!secure!the!perimeter!of! the!bar!(e.g.!prevent!underage!students!from!coming!and!going!for!drinking!purposes).! ! As!a!further!incentive!to!get!students!out!of!their!rooms,!one!Residence!coordinator!suggested! student!bars!reduce!the!cover!charge!for!underage!students,!“Don’t!punish!the!underage!at!the! door!to!make!up!for!their!not!drinking.!We!want!the!students!to!attend!the!special!events!so!they! won’t!be!drinking!in!their!rooms!”!! ! ! 17!

A!number!of!respondents,!including!bar!management,!A number of respondents, including bar management, alsoalso!spoke!to!a! spoke to a rolerole!for!the!broader! for the broader university!community!in!shifting!theuniversity community in shifting the! focus!away!from!drinking!to!socializing.!focus away from drinking to socializing. In!In their!vision,!their vision, the!campus!bar!on!Friday!afternoons!would!become!a!venue!where!ththe campus bar on Friday afternoons would become a venue where thee!university! university community!(faculty,!staff!and!students)!could!share!ideas!over!a!beer.!The!focus!of!the!event!community (faculty, staff and students) could share ideas over a beer. The focus of the event would!be!the!relationship!not!the!alcohol.!would be the relationship not the alcohol. ! ! “I want!“I!want!the!campus!bar!to!be!the!place!where!faculty,!staff!and!students!are! the campus bar to be the place where faculty, staff and students are comfortablecomfortable!to!come!and!socialize.!I!see!this!as!leading!to!higher!standards,!better! to come and socialize. I see this as leading to higher standards, better serviceservice!and!a!great!social!atmosphere.!I!can!see!it!leading!to!a!good!turnover,!where!we! and a great social atmosphere. I can see it leading to a good turnover, where we wouldwould!get!more!people!through,!and!have!less!drinking!per!person.”! get more people through, and have less drinking per person.” (bar(bar!manager) manager) ! !

2.5.2! Comparison!of!Campus!Bar!NonXCompliance!Rates!to!Private! Licensees!! ! AttentionAttention!to!student!safety!and!Nova!Scotia’s!liquor!laws!is!reflected!in!compliance!rates!of! to student safety and Nova Scotia’s liquor laws is reflected in compliance rates of campuscampus!bar barss! documenteddocumented!in!liquor!inspection!reports!obtained!by! in liquor inspection reports obtained by StudentsNS!StudentsNS and!reported!in!and reported inthe!tables!below. the tables below.! ! TablesTables! 2.5.12.5.1!and!2.5 and 2.5.2.2!summarize! summarize relevantrelevant! campuscampus!bar!liquor!inspection!data!and!private! bar liquor inspection data and private licenseelicensee!liquor!inspection!data,!respectively.! liquor inspection data, respectively.The!tables!indicate!that!over! The tables indicate that overthe!period the period!January Janu- !1X aryDecember!2013,!each!of!the!campus!bars!was!visited!at!a!significantly!hig 1-December 31, 2013, four of the campus bars was visited at a higher her!rate!than!a!typical!rate than a typical licensee.licensee.!Bars!at!Dalhousie!University!(Halifax!campus)!received!the!most!visits!by!liquor! Bars at Dalhousie University (Halifax campus) received the most visits by liquor in- spectorsinspectors!(36!visits!over!the!year)!with!Mount!St.!Vincent’s!student!union (36 visits over the year) with Mount St. Vincent’s student union-runXrun!bar!receiving!the! bar receiving the fewestfewest!visits!(six!over!the!year).!In!compa visits (six over the year). In comparison,rison,!the!average!number!of!visits!made!by!liquor! the average number of visits made by liquor inspectorsinspectors!to!non to non-campusXcampus!based!lounges!over!the!same!time!period!was!2.9.!These!data!indicate! based lounges over the same time period was 15.2. These data indicatethat!provincial!liquor!inspectors!place!a!high!priority!on!ensuring!campus!bars!are!run!in!a! that provincial liquor inspectors place a high priority on ensuring campus bars are run inresponsible!and!sa a responsible andfe!manner. safe manner.! ! TheThe!tables!also!speak!to!compliance!rates!and!indicate! tables also speak to compliance rates and indicate aa!perfect!compliance!rate!for! perfect compliance rate for fivefive! of!the!of thesix!student!union six student union-run;run!campus!bars! campus barsthat!participated!in!the!research.!The!sixth!campus!bar,!run! that participated in the research. The sixth campus bar, runby!the!student!union!at!Mount!St.!Vincent,!had!one!non by the student union at Mount St. Vincent, had one non-complianceXcompliance!in!the!form!of!a!verbal! in the form of a ver- balwarning!over!the!year,!making!the!average!non warning over the year, making the average non-complianceXcompliance!rate!for!these!six!student rate for these six student-runXrun!bars! bars0.75%. 0.98%.!For!comparison!purposes,!the!average!non For comparison purposes, the averageX non-compliancecompliance!rate!for!non rate for Xnon-campuscampus!based! basedlounges!was!1.6%!over!the!same!period. lounges was 1.6% over the same period.!These!statistics!confirm!findings!from!interviews!with! These statistics confirm findings from inter- viewscampus!bar!managers!that!their!operations!are!run!with!a!strict!eye!paid!to!provincial!liquor! with campus bar managers that their operations are run with a strict eye paid to provin- cialregulations!and!student!safety. liquor regulations and student!! safety. ! WeWe!did!find!that!student!union did find that student union-runXrun!bars!at!Dalhousie!University’s!Halifax! bars at Dalhousie University’s Halifax campus!had!five!noncampus had five X non-compliancescompliances!over!the!year!(consisting!of!three!verbal!warnings!and!two!written!warnings)!for!an! over the year (consisting of three verbal warnings and two written warnings) foraverage!non an averageXcompliance!rate!of!13.8%!over!the!year.!The!Dalhousie!Student!Union!did!not! non-compliance rate of 13.8% over the year. The Dalhousie Student Union did notparticipate!in!the! participate in StudentsNSthe StudentsNS!research,!however research, however. 18

Table 2.5.1

Student Union Bar Liquor Inspection Results for the period of Jan. 1, 2013 – Dec. 31, 2013

University Total Total Total Non- Average Non- Inspections Licensees Compliances compliance per Inspection Acadia (Axe Lounge) 30 1 0 Cape Breton (The Pit) 25 1 0 Dalhousie Faculty of 7 1 0 Agriculture (The Barn) Dalhousie (includes 36 1 5 13.8% Grawood, T-Room, Grad House) Mt. St. Vincent 6 1 1 16.6% (Vinnie’s Lounge) St. Francis Xavier 11 1 0 (Golden X Inn) St. Mary’s (Gorsebrook 23 1 0 Lounge) Totals 138 7 6 4.3% Totals excluding 102 6 1 0.98% Dalhousie Hfx campus

Table 2.5.2

NS Liquor Inspection Results by License Type for the period of Jan. 1, 2013 – Dec. 31, 2013

License Type Total Total Average # Total Non- Average Non- Inspections Licensees Inspections Compliances compliance per Licensee per Inspection Beverage room 371 17 9.7 5 1.3% Cabaret 556 8 30.9 18 3.2% Club 6436 375 7.6 76 1.2% Eating 14699 950 6.9 94 0.64% establishment Lounge 13992 410 15.2 223 1.6% Special premises 2656 297 4 52 2.0%

! 19!

3.0!Environmental,Strategies:,A,Review,of, Student'Union'Alcohol'Policies'&'Practices!

“Targetting!settings!on!campus!where!the!majority!of!heavy!drinking!occurs! (e.g.!campus!bars)!appears!to!be!effective!in!reducing!the!incidence!and! likelihood!of!intoxication!among!college!students.”!(The!Strang!Report)! ! Research!undertaken!across!North!American!campuses!and!summarized!in!the!Strang!Report! points!to!the!effectiveness!of!strategies!for!risk!reduction!that!reduce!the!supply!of!(availability! or!access!to)!alcohol!to!students!and!shift!the!drinking!culture!to!one!of!moderation.!! ! Examples!from!the!six!student!unionXrun!bars!on!campus!offer!student!leadership!a!starting! point!to!address!highXrisk!drinking!and!the!reduction!of!harms!associated!with!overconsumption! of!alcohol.! ! In!this!chapter,!policies!and!practices!in!place!at!each!of!the!six!student!unionXrun!bars!are! assessed!against!a!set!of!standards!identified!as!best!practices!for!bar!management!and!serving! practices.!It!also!looks!at!advertising!policies!relating!to!bar!operations!and!the!alcohol!industry.! ! Individual!risk!assessment!procedures!in!place!across!the!six!campuses!which!identify!and! minimize!the!risks!associated!with!all!studentXrun!special!events!and!activities!are!examined!as! well.! !

3.1! Comparison!of!Campus!Bar!policies!to!‘Best! Practices’! ! To!compare!policies!and!practices!in!place!at!the!six!campus!bars,!best!practices!drawn!from!the! Strang!Report!and!supplemented!by!practices!taken!from!Queen’s!University,!have!been!reX organized!into!three!categories:! • Standard!operating!procedures!for!campus!bars!! • Beverage!service!procedures!and!restrictions! • Student!bar!transportation!practices!! ! A!set!of!tables!has!been!designed!which!compares!policies!in!place!at!each!of!the!six!campus! bars!to!these!three!sets!of!best!practices.!Each!table!sets!out!the!best!practices!in! in !the! leftXhand!column.!Individual!campus!bar!practices!are!presented!in!individual!columns,! identified!by!their!respective!campus!across!the!top.!! • Where!the!campus!bar’s!activities!exceed!the!best!practice,!it!is!highlighted!in!.! • Where!the!campus!bar!conforms!with!the!best!practice,!it!is!highlighted!in!.!! • Where!the!campus!bar!has!approximate!conformity!to!the!best!practice,!it!is!highlighted! in!yellow.! ! 20!

• !Where!there!is!limited!or!no!conformity!between!the!best!practice!and!the!campus!bar! practice,!there!is!no!highlighting.!! !

3.1.1! Standard!Operating!Procedures!for!Campus!Bars!! ! Table!3.1.1!summarizes!a!set!of!best!practices!relating!to!standard!operating!procedures!for! campus!bars!and!pubs.!These!best!practices!provide!campus!bar!management!with!a!set!of!tools! intended!to!maximize!the!risk!management!of!their!operations!and!heighten!student!safety.! ! A!reading!of!the!table!indicates!reasonable!conformity!between!the!studentXrun!bars!and!the! best!practices!contained!in!the!Strang!Report.!Of!the!nine!recommended!best!practices,!all!six! student!unions!have!implemented!five.!All!campus!bars:! ! • Ensure!that!their!bar!staff!are!trained!in!responsible!bar!service.!In!Nova!Scotia!the! formal!training!program!is!called!Serve!Right.!The!Serve!Right!training!is!paid!for!by!the! student!unions.! • Ensure!that!door!staff!are!trained!in!security!measures!and!nonXviolent!intervention! techniques.!Some!bars!use!student!door!staff!trained!by!campus!Security!or!other! campus!staff!(e.g.!Student!Community!Development);!other!student!bars!contract!with! private!security!services!for!their!door!staff.! • Control!entrance!and!check!for!legal!age!and!student!IDs!during!special!events!and! highXrisk!periods.! • Implement!special!procedures!during!highXrisk!periods!(e.g.!implement!coat!and!bag! checks;!serve!alcohol!in!plastic!containers).!! • Refuse!entrance!to!inebriated!students!and!remove!inebriated!students.!In!both!cases! bar!staff!ensure!the!inebriated!students!are!seen!safely!home!by!sober!students,! security!or!members!of!studentXled!safety!programs.! ! Best!practices!also!encourage!the!reduction!of!bar!hours.!While! each!of!the!six!bars!have!different!hours!of!operation,!all!have!two! Best!practices!from!the! to!three!days!a!week!when!the!bar!is!closed!and!other!days!when! literature!recommend! the!bar!closes!early!in!the!early!evening.!Best!practices!would! that!universities!hold! suggest!there!still!may!be!room!for!a!further!reduction!of!hours!on! classes!on!Fridays!to! some!campuses.!While!the!Cape!Breton!&!St.!Mary’s!campus!bars! discourage!heavy! have!shortened!bar!hours!on!Thursday!evenings!(close!at!7!pm!and! drinking!on!Thursday! 8!pm!respectively)!all!other!campus!bars!are!open!until!1!am!on! evenings.!Limiting!bar! Thursday!evenings.!!Feedback!from!bar!management!and!others,! hours!on!Thursday! however,!suggests!that!further!reduction!of!bar!hours!may!in!fact! evenings!is!seen!as!a! be!an!unsafe!practice!as!it!may!encourage!students!to!go!off! complementary! campus!to!drink!or!to!drink!in!their!rooms.!For!this!reason,!this! measure.! review!is!not!recommending!a!further!reduction!of!bar!hours.!! ! ! ! ! 21!

A!smaller!number!of!student!unions!also!have!the!following!best!practices!in!place:!! ! • Impose!a!‘no!admittance!after!12!am’!policy!(the!pub!at!Dalhousie!Faculty!of!Agriculture! has!a!‘no!admittance’!policy!after!11:30!pm).!(This!measure!is!designed!to!minimize! disruption!in!the!bar!which!occurs!through!introducing!new!patrons!to!the!mix!who!may! have!been!pre;drinking!or!who!may!(try!to)!power!drink!to!‘catch!up!to!the!party’.! However,!discussions!with!bar!management!suggest!that!closing!the!campus!bar!early! may!encourage!students!to!pass!over!their!campus!bar!in!favour!of!downtown!bars! where!fewer!monitoring!mechanisms!may!be!in!place.)! • Limit!number!of!guests!by!implementing!a!1:2!or!1:1!student!to!guest!ratio!(the!bar!at! Cape!Breton!University!allows!students!to!only!sign!in!one!guest!and!the!student!is! responsible!for!the!conduct!of!the!guest.!(This!measure!has!reportedly!cut!down!on! non;student!visitors!to!the!bar!and!associated!fights!making!for!a!safer!environment!in! the!campus!bar).! !

3.1.2! Beverage!Service!and!Restrictions! ! Table!3.1.2!summarizes!a!set!of!best!practices!relating!to!beverage!service!and!restrictions!in! campus!bars!and!pubs.!These!best!practices!provide!campus!bar!management!and!staff!with!a! set!of!tools!to!reduce!the!overconsumption!of!alcohol!and!the!harmful!effects!of! overconsumption.! ! The!table!shows!moderate!conformity!between!the!best!practices!recommended!in!the!Strang! Report!and!the!practices!in!place!across!the!six!participating!student!bars!and!pubs.!All!six! student!unions!follow!six!of!the!15!recommended!best!practices.!They:!

• Ensure!that!nonXalcoholic!drinks!are!available.!(Most!bars!also!have!the!nonXalcoholic! drink!located!in!a!highly!visible!location.)! • Provide!light!alcohol!choices!(beer!and!coolers).! • Do!not!serve!nuts!or!chips!(highly!salted!foods!that!promote!thirst).! • Limit!the!number!of!drinks!that!can!be!served!to!a!person!at!one!time.!(The!limit!in!all! six!bars!is!two!drinks!per!person!at!any!one!time.)! • Limit!the!size!of!drinks!containers!to!reflect!standard!drink!sizes.!(The!exception!across! all!bars!are!pitchers!that!hold!four!servings!of!draft!beer.)! • Ban!drinking!games!and!game!wheels!that!mix!drinks.! !

Why!Campus!Bars!Should!Ban!‘Last!Calls’!

‘Last!calls’!encourage!rapid!consumption!of!alcohol!which!can!lead!to!high!levels! of!intoxication!&!place!students!at!risk!for!selfXinjury!or!injury!of!others.!

!

! ! ! 22!

Additional!best!practices!in!place!at!two!or!fewer!student!unionXrun!bars!include:! ! • Eliminating!‘last!calls’!(only!the!bar!at!Cape!Breton!University!reported!having!no!‘last! calls’);!and! • Banning!the!sale!of!caffeinated!energy!drinks!or!preXmixed!caffeinated!alcoholic! beverages!(only!the!bar!at!Dalhousie!Faculty!of!Agriculture!prohibits!the!sale!of!these! products).! • Providing!nonXalcoholic!beverages!free!of!charge!to!designated!drivers!(the!Dal! Agricultural!Campus!and!StFX!are!the!only!bars!reporting!this!practice).!

Why!Campus!Bars!Should!Ban!Caffeinated!Energy!Drinks!

Simply!put,!mixing!energy!drinks!(which!acts!as!stimulants)!with!alcohol!(which! is!a!depressant)!masks!an!individual’s!ability!to!accurately!determine!his!or!her! level!of!intoxication.!!

Evidence!cited!in!the!Strang!Report!shows!that!individuals!who!consume!alcohol! together!with!caffeinated!energy!drinks!experience!a!significantly!higher! prevalence!of!negative!alcoholXrelated!consequences!compared!to!those!who! consume!alcohol!without!the!addition!of!caffeine.!These!include!higher!rates!of:!

• Being!taken!advantage!of!sexually;! • Taking!advantage!of!another!person!sexually;! • Riding!in!an!automobile!with!a!driver!who!is!under!the!influence! of!alcohol;! • Driving!while!under!the!influence!of!alcohol;! • Being!hurt,!injured!and!requiring!medical!attention.! ! ! None!of!the!six!student!unionXrun!bars!reported!having!the!following! best!practices!in!place:! Students!are! • Banning!single!shots!of!liquor.! money! • Limiting!the!amount!of!spirits!in! conscious.! drinks!to!1!oz.!(all!bars!sell!2oz! Banning!single! Putting!lower! shots).!! shots!&!doubles! prices!on!lite! • Putting!in!place!alcohol!pricing!that! in!mixed!drinks! alcoholic!drinks! reflects!the!percentage!of!alcohol! are!measures!to! may!reduce! (i.e.!beverages!that!contain!less! reduce!rapid!&! consumption!of! alcohol!than!calculated!in!one! overX drinks!with!a! standard!drink!are!priced!lower!than! consumption!of! higher!alcohol! drinks!containing!one!standard!drink! alcohol.! content.! of!alcohol!and!vice!versa).! ! ! ! ! 23!

3.1.3! Additional!Safety!and!Transportation!Policies! ! Measures!in!place!at!the!six!campus!bars!which!address!the!safety!and!transportation!of! students!when!leaving!a!campus!bar!were!compared!against!best!practices!taken!from!Queen’s! University’s!Alcohol!Policy!(see!table!3.1.1):!

• Encourage!the!use!of!harm!reduction!or!emergency!services!(as!needed)!by!bar!staff! when!removing!patrons!from!onXcampus!establishments;! • Find!appropriate!accompaniment!to!ensure!the!patron’s!safe!return!to!home;! • Provide!a!taxi!chit!(and!call!a!taxi)!to!ensure!safe!transport!if!no!other!safe! transportation!home!is!available!to!a!patron!removed!from!an!onXcampus! establishment.!! ! The!table!indicates!that!only!two!of!the!bar!managers!(Acadia!and!Cape!Breton!University)! reported!that!their!bar!staff!have!received!training!in!harms!reduction!and!emergency! procedures!and!are!comfortable!to!know!when!to!call!911.!In!both!instances,!training!has!been! provided!by!paramedics!with!Emergency!Health!Services,!Nova!Scotia.!! ! All!six!bar!managers!reported!practices!to!ensure!a!student!is!never!left!on!their!own!(find!a! sober!friend!to!walk!them!home!or!call!campus!security!or!use!student!walk!home/drive!home! service).!Some!bar!staff!also!alert!the!RAs!when!students!leave!the!bar!to!return!to!residence!so! they!can!be!met!and!taken!care!of.!This!practice!was!reported!by!bar!managers!at!the!Cape! Breton!and!St.!Mary’s!University!student!bars.! ! Only!the!St.!Mary’s!University!student!union!provides!taxi!chits!to!take!offXcampus!students! home.!However!bar!management!at!each!of!Cape!Breton,!Dalhousie!Faculty!of!Agriculture!and! Mount!St.!Vincent!reported!the!practice!of!personally!calling!taxis!(with!most!paying!for!the! taxis!themselves)!if!there!was!no!other!way!for!offXcampus!students!to!return!home!safety.!At! Acadia!and!StFX!bar!management!call!their!respective!student!union!shuttle!service!to!transport! offXcampus!students!home.!!

3.1.4!!Responsibility!for!Campus!Bars:!Student!Union!or!Administration?! ! Some!question!the!appropriateness!of!campus!bars!falling!under! “I!didn’t!want!to! the!jurisdiction!of!student!unions.!Proponents!of!this!position! be!in!the!position! hold!that!responsibility!for!campus!bar!operations,!procedures! of!losing!a! and!policies!should!fall!to!university!administration!(e.g.,!Student! student.”! Services);!with!student!unions!maintaining!responsibility!for!all! events!planning.!There!are!two!reasons!for!this!position.!First,!the! !;!Ex;bar!manager! university!in!all!cases!holds!the!license!for!the!campus!bars.!! ! ! Secondly,!bar!management!are!employees!of!the!student!union! and,!according!to!bar!manager!feedback,!can!face!significant!pressure!when!trying!to!implement! safetyXmeasures!unpopular!to!the!student!body!(signXin!policies;!banning!happy!hours;!banning! Jager!bombs![a!cocktail!combination!of!an!energy!drink!with!a!70!percent!proof!German!liquor]).!! ! ! 24!

One!bar!manager!reported!concerns!of!job!security!because!of!friction!between!student!union! agendas!and!safety!procedures!that!bar!management!would!like!to!implement.!! ! A!second!bar!manger,!in!position!less!than!3!years,!chose!to!resign!because!of!concerns!related! to!student!safety.!Her!decision!was!sealed!when!the!university!ignored!her!requests!for!an! increased!security!presence!outside!the!bar!during!busy!times.! !

!A!Third!Way! An!alternative!to!moving!responsibility!for!the!campus!bar!from!under!the!student!union’s! jurisdiction!is!to!build!a!more!collaborative!relationship!between!the!student!leadership!and! university!administration.!! ! Acadia!University,!for!example,!has!a!longXstanding!practice!of!involving! “The!Student! student!leadership!in!policy!development.!Students!are!routinely!built! Union!is! into!policy!discussions!and!their!voice!is!sought!even!in!instances!where! involved!at! measures!are!unpopular!with!the!student!body.!“It’s!good!be! every!table!as! challenged.!And!we!know!we!can’t!clamp!down!too!far!cause!we!don’t! an!equal! want!to!drive!the!students!off!campus.”! ! partner.”! Collaboration!at!Acadia!is!further!facilitated!through!coXlocation!of! university!and!student!union!staff!in!the!same!building.!Opportunities! X!President,!ASU! for!communication!are!frequent,!making!for!a!comfortable!and! frequent!exchange!of!ideas.!“It’s!the!casual!communication!that’s! ! important;!stopping!and!chatting!in!the!hallway!which!builds!a!natural!relationship.!On!top!of! that!there!are!regular!meetings.!We!see!co;location!as!a!best!practice.”!(Director,!Student! Affairs)! ! At!Cape!Breton!University!at!least!one!student!sits!at!every!university!committee!that!creates! policy.!For!example,!CBU!has!a!Lounge!Management!Committee,!which!specifically!creates! policy!and!makes!decisions!regarding!operations!of!its!pub,!includes!university!senior! administration!and!student!union!representation.!Its!most!effective!policy!to!date!(the!signXin! policy!which!has!decreased!violent!incidents!this!year!by!more!than!80%)!was!created!through! policy!collaboration!by!committee!members.! ! At!Mount!St.!Vincent!and!the!Dalhousie!Faculty!of!Agriculture,!respondents!reported!good! communication!between!the!student!union!and!the!university,!facilitated!through!frequent! meetings!and!small!campus!size.!At!StFX!respondents!reported!positive!steps!towards! collaboration!through!a!number!of!joint!student!union/university!initiative

“There!needs!to!be!a!good!working!relationship!with!this!role!(bar!manager)!on!any! campus!and!open!communication!with!frequent!updates.!Not!having!this!can!cause!so! many!issues.”!

X!Housing!Director!

! ! 25#

Table#3.1.1:# Best#Practices#relating#to#standard#operating#procedures#for#Campus#Bars#and#Pubs:!Designed(to!provide(bar(management(with( a(set(of(tools(to(maximize(the(risk(management(of(their(operations( ! Policies#and#Practices! Acadia#University# Cape#Breton#University# Dalhousie#Faculty#of#Agriculture# 1. !Require!all!staff!be!certified!in! All!bar!staff!are!trained!and!certified!in! All!bar!staff!are!trained!and!certified!in! All!bar!staff!are!trained!and!certified!in! responsible!bar!service!(e.g.,! ServeRight.(Refresher!training!is!provided! ServeRight.! ServeRight.! Serve(Right).! every!3!years.! 2. Ensure!that!bar!staff!trained!in! All!bar!staff!are!trained!in!nonDviolent! Bar!manager!hires!professional!security! Bar!staff!are!also!trained!in!security,!OH&S,! security!measures!are!available! conflict!resolution!&!situational!training! company!to!provide!door!management,! First!Aid!and!WHMS.! during!peak!drinking!periods.*! based!on!real!–life!scenarios.!! crowd!control!&!handling!of!irate! customers.! 3. Review!hours!of!operation!with!a! Closed:!Sun,!Mon,!Tues.!Open:!Wed:!5!pm! Closed:!Sun.!Open:!MonDThur:!noon!to! Closed:!Sun!D!Wed.!! view!to!reducing.! to!1!pm;!Thurs:!8!pm!to!1!pm;!Fri:!4!pm!to!1! 7pm;!Fri:!noon!to!1am;!Sat:!10pm!to!1am.! Open:!Thurs!–!Sat,!10:30!pm!to!1am!! am;!Sat:!8!pm!to!1!am!(and!special!events! While!the!bar!closes!at!1!am,!the!premises! by!request).! stay!open!until!1:45!am!to!allow!students! to!dance!&!get!hydrated!before!leaving.!! 4. Control!entrance!to!licensed! All!patrons!must!show!their!student!IDs!at! The!bar!has!a!signDin!policy;!and!all!patrons! All!patrons!must!show!their!student!IDs!at! establishments!at!peak!drinking! door.! must!show!their!student!IDs!at!door.! door.! times!and!check!for!legal!age!and! student!IDs.! 5. Impose!a!‘no!admittance!after!12! Students!can!enter!up!until!closing!time.! Students!can!enter!up!until!closing!time.! There!is!no!admittance!after!11:30!pm.! am’!policy!at!large!facilities.! 6. Implement!special!procedures! Drinks!are!available!in!both!glass!and! Security!routinely!does!searches,!pat! All!bags/jackets!always!stay!downstairs!in! during!highDrisk!periods!(such!as! plastic.!On!nights!that!are!extra!busy,! downs!and!visual!checks.!Bar!manager!will! the!cubbyholes!–!they!are!never!allowed!in! nights!where!it!is!known!there! (more!than!150!in!bar!and!have!people! bring!in!Safety!&!Security!in!addition!to! the!pub.!! will!be!heavy!drinking).!Examples! standing)!the!bar!shifts!from!glass!to!plastic! regular!security!from!9!pm!to!1!pm!on! ! include!serving!all!alcohol!in! for!safety!reasons!but!still!give!out!beer! highDrisk!nights.!!Also!frequently!partners! At!special!events!–!e.g.!Woodsmen! plastic!cups;!implementing!a! bottles.! with!CBU!&!CBRM!police!dept!to!have! Weekend,!the!2!regular!Security! mandatory!coat!and!bag!check.! Staff!always!do!bag!checks!at!the!door!&! police!officers!present!at!high!risk!events! complement!is!supplemented!with!2!RCMP! coat!checks!after!Thanksgiving.!! (costs!approx.!$180!per!hour!but!the! officers,!2!additional!Security!and!extra!bar! student!union!does!it!to!ensure!student! staff!as!well.!There!are!also!mandatory!coat! safety).! checks!at!specials!events!like!Woodsmen! Weekend.! ! 7. Limit!number!of!guests!by! No!restrictions! The!bar!has!a!policy!of!allowing!students!to! The!campus!bar!has!a!1:2!student!to!guest! implementing!a!1:2!or!1:1! sign!in!one!guest!only!&!the!student!is! ratio.! student!to!guest!ratio.! responsible!for!conduct!of!their!guest.!! ! ! 26#

8. Refuse!entrance!to!persons!who! If!potential!patron!exhibits!overt!signs!at! If!someone!is!obviously!inebriated,!they!are! There!is!no!entry!for!patrons!who!appear! appear!to!be!or!who!are! entrance,!they!are!denied!entrance.!Staff! denied!entrance.!Security!also!confiscates! to!be!inebriated;!staff!look!for!reasons!not! intoxicated;!and!remove!persons! ensure!they!are!seen!safely!home!...walked! alcohol;!and!does!not!allow!patrons!to! to!let!them!in!as!admittance!is!seen!as!a! who!appear!to!be!or!who!are! home!by!Safety!&!Security!or!by!friends.!If! enter!with!coffees!or!open!water/pop! privilege,!not!a!right.! intoxicated.! at!facility,!numerous!staff!could!step!in;! bottles.!! ! they!would!refuse!service!&!use!team! ! Once!inside!if!inebriated,!bar!staff!calls! approach!to!approach!and!let!patron!know! Once!inside,!the!manager!keeps!a!close!eye! campus!Security!to!help!safely!remove! they’ve!had!too!much!to!drink.!Staff!would! on!the!students.!If!awake!and!inebriated,! patron!from!the!pub.!! ask!a!friend!to!walk!them!home!or!offer! staff!will!identify!a!friend!to!take!them! ! Safety!&!Security!walk!home!service.!Tell! home;!or!call!a!cab!and!make!sure!the! ! them!if!they!leave!(safely)!they!won’t!get! cabbie!has!their!address.!If!on!campus,! written!up.!But!If!patron!gets!belligerent,! staff!get!Security!to!take!patron!home! bar!mgt!will!call!S!&!S!and!write!them!up.! while!also!notifying!the!RA!of!the!details.! The!patron!then!has!to!see!the!Coordinator! Sometimes!the!bar!tender!will!also!take!a! of!Student!Community!Development!who! student!home.!! oversees!the!nonDacademic!judicial! ! process.! If!students!fall!asleep,!manager!takes!to! her!office!to!monitor!them.!If!unable!to! wake!them,!or!unconscious,!911!is!called.!! 9.!Implement!a!Buddy!System,! Acadia!has!developed!and!implemented!its! The!bar!manager!indicated!she!would!like! ! Bystander!Intervention!Program! Red(Watch(Band(program,!(Red!and!Blue! to!have!all!her!staff!trained!in!the! or!Designated!Driver!Program!to! Crew,!2012).! Bystander!Intervention!Program;!as!well!as! help!intoxicated!students!arrive! in!nonDviolent!crisis!intervention! home!safely.! techniques.!Training!should!be!available! too.!(Note:!the!bar!manager!is!a!certified! instructor!in!nonDviolent!crisis! intervention.)! ! ! ! ! ! ! 27#

Table#3.1.1#con’t:#Best#Practices#relating#to#standard#operating#procedures#for#Campus#Bars#and#Pubs:!Designed(to!provide(bar(management( with(a(set(of(tools(to(maximize(the(risk(management(of(their(operations( ( Policies#and#Practices! Mount#St.#Vincent# St.#Francis#Xavier# St.#Mary’s#University# University# University## 1.!Require!all!staff!be!certified!in! All!bar!staff!training!in!Serve(Right.! All!bar!staff!training!in!Serve(Right.!They! All!bar!staff!receive!training!in!Serve(Right.!! responsible!bar!service!(e.g.,!Serve( also!receive!sessions!on!nonDviolent!crisis! Right).! intervention!techniques.!! 2.!Ensure!that!bar!staff!trained!in! Chief!of!Security!provides!door!staff!with! Security!staff!are!trained!specifically!on! The!door!staff!are!contracted!from!private! security!measures!are!available!during! training!in!intervention!techniques!(how!to! asking!patrons!to!leave,!IDing,!and! security!company!&!have!received!door!ID! peak!drinking!periods.! ask!patrons!to!leave)!&!door/monitoring! expectations!from!the!liquor!inspector!and! training!and!intervention!techniques! techniques.!! the!license!holder!for!the!University! 3.!Review!hours!of!operation!with!a! Closed:!SatDSun.!Open:!MonDWed:!4:30!pm! Closed:!Sun!–!Tues.!Open:!WedDFri:!5!pm!–! Closed:!SatDSun.!Open:!Mon!11:30!am!–! view!to!reducing.! –!10!pm;!ThursD!Fri:!4:30!pm!–!1am.!! 1!am.!Sat:!8pmD1am!(open!at!1:30!pm!for! 7:30!pm;!Tues!11:30!am!–!10:30!pm;!Wed! Home!Football!Games).! 11:30!am!D1!am;!Thurs#11:30#am#–#8#pm;! Fri!11:30!am!–!1am.!Thurs!&!Fri!nights!are! Special!Events/!Society!nights.! 4.!Control!entrance!to!licensed! Door!staff!ask!each!patron!for!student!ID! !All!patrons!are!required!to!show!student! All!patrons!are!required!to!show! establishments!at!peak!drinking!times! and!bracelet!(one!colour!for!underage,! IDs!at!the!door.! government!issued!IDs!at!the!door.!NonD and!check!for!legal!age!and!student! one!colour!for!drinking!age.)!No!underage! ! SMU!students!need!to!be!signed!in!during! IDs.! guests!are!allowed.! evening!hours!and!for!all!special!events.! 5.!Impose!a!‘no!admittance!after!12! No!policy.! Patrons!can!enter!until!12:45!am!if!they!do! The!bar!has!a!‘no!admittance’!policy!after! am’!policy!at!large!facilities.! not!show!signs!of!alcohol!consumption.! midnight.! 6.!Implement!special!procedures! Bar!staff!not!allowed!to!pat!people!down! The!bar!implements!a!mandatory!coat!&! Bag!checks!are!done!during!busy!times.!! during!highDrisk!periods!(such!as!nights! but!always!ask!patrons!to!pat!themselves! school!bag!check!every!night.!The!bar!also! Every!day!after!5!pm!the!bar!switches!to! where!it!is!known!there!will!be!heavy! down!if!they!have!a!coat.!Also!ask!girls!to! limits!the!amount!of!pitchers!and!doubles! plastic!cups!for!beer.!Shots!are!drunk!at! drinking).!Examples!include!serving!all! open!purse!and!show!contents,!remove! being!sold!to!maintain!care!and!control!of! the!bar.! alcohol!in!plastic!cups;!implementing!a! sweaters!etc.! the!licensed!area.! Staff!are!more!‘on!their!toes’!during!high! mandatory!coat!and!bag!check.! risk!nights.![!e.g.,!on!St.!Paddy’s!Day,!the! manager!meets!with!bar!staff!before!the! door!is!opened!to!remind!staff!that!the! students!are!their!friends!&!classmates!&! that!the!bottom!line!is!to!make!sure! everyone!wakes!up!the!next!day.]! 7.!Limit!number!of!guests!by! No!policy.! No!policy.! No!policy.! implementing!a!1:2!or!1:1!student!to! guest!ratio.! 9.!Refuse!entrance!to!persons!who! If!door!staff!suspects!someone!is! Any!patrons!showing!signs!of!intoxication! Bar!staff!assess!them,!have!a!conversation! ! 28#

appear!to!be!or!who!are!intoxicated;! intoxicated!at!entry,!they!get!manager!or! are!not!permitted!into!the!licensed!area! which!is!not!a!quick!job;!the!door!and!bar! and!remove!persons!who!appear!to!be! assistant!manager!to!do!the!assessment.! and!are!asked!to!leave!the!line!up! staff!work!as!a!team,!and!are!always! or!who!are!intoxicated.! Once!in!the!bar!and!getting!intoxicated,! immediately!escorted!out!of!the!building! monitoring!the!patrons.! the!patrons!are!invited!outside!the!pub!to! by!XPatrol.!If!patrons!are!found!to!be! ! have!a!word.!If!judgement!call!required,! showing!signs!of!intoxication!on!premises,! Bar!staff!asks!who!they’re!at!the!bar!with! door!staff!bring!in!bar!manager!to! security!staff!will!address!the!patron!away! and!get!a!friend!who!is!not!intoxicated!to! determine!next!step.!If!person!can’t!stand,! from!their!friends!in!a!safe,!well!lit!location! take!them!home;!if!need!be,!will!pay!for!a! is!vomiting,!are!asked!what!alcohol/drugs! and!ask!them!to!leave.!In!both!cases,!staff! cab!and!get!Security!to!make!sure!they!get! they’ve!taken;!what!food!they’ve!eaten.! will!look!for!friends!of!the!individual!to! in!the!cab;!or!get!campus!Security!to!walk! Will!release!an!intoxicated!student!to!a! accompany!them!on!the!way!home.!Staff! them!home!if!live!on!campus.!Bar!staff! sober!friend!but!not!to!a!drunk!friend.!A! will!also!go!to!get!the!individual’s!coat! also!alert!the!RAs!to!let!them!know! few!times!have!called!an!ambulance;!in! from!coat!check!if!required.!Staff!do!not! students!will!be!arriving!and!the!condition! other!cases!bar!mgt!alerts!Security!or! allow!a!guy!to!walk!an!inebriated!girl! they!are!in.!Bar!staff!liability!coverage!is! MSVU!Crew!to!come!and!meet!them.!Staff! home…will!bring!in!XPatrol!who!go!in!pairs! limited!to!within!15!feet!of!the!door.! never!leave!the!student!alone.! or!go!by!van,!again!with!XPatrol!in!pairs.! Van!is!paid!by!Student!Union!from!bar! profits.!In!the!case!of!students!not!in! control!of!their!faculties,!XPatrol!will! assess!and!make!the!decision!on!whether! medical!attention!or!police!attention!is! needed.! 10.!Implement!a!Buddy!Program,! Staff!never!leave!the!student!alone.!Will! Identify!sober!friends!to!walk!home;!or! Identify!sober!friend!or!campus!Security!to! Bystander!Intervention!Program!or! call!MSVU!Crew!or!Security.! have!XPatrol!drive!or!walk!the!student! walk!home;!or!get!cab!paid!by!SMUSA!to! Designated!Driver!Program!to!help! home.!! drive!home.! intoxicated!students!arrive!home! safely.! ! ! ! ! 29#

3.1.2:# Best#Practices#related#to#Beverage#Service#and#Restrictions:!Designed(to(provide(bar(management(and(staff(with(a(set(of(tools(to(reduce( the(overconsumption(of(alcohol(and(the(harmful(effects(associated(with(the(over?consumption(of(alcohol.( ( Policies#and#Practices! Acadia#University# Cape#Breton#University# Dalhousie#Faculty#of#Agriculture# 1.!Ensure!that!nonDalcoholic!beverages!are! NonDalcoholic!drinks!are!available.! NonDalcoholic!drinks!are!visibly!available! NonDalcoholic!drinks!are!visibly!available! visibly!available!at!all!times!and!available!at! Soft!drinks!cost!$1.00;!bottled!water!is! at!all!times!at!a!lower!cost!than! at!all!times.!NonDalcoholic!drinks!are! lower!prices!than!alcoholic!beverages,!or!free! $2.00.!Tap!water!is!free.! alcoholic!beverages.!NonDalcohol!drink! free.! of!charge.! ! sales!have!increased!300%!under!the! The!dispensers!are!below!eye!level!so! present!manager!&!include!a!good! are!not!easily!seen.!! variety!of!soft!drinks,!juices!&!also!nonD alcohol!‘drinks’!like!Shirley!Temples,! ! cocktails.!A!hydration!station!is!also!set! ! up!with!pitchers!of!water!kept!full.! 2.!Ensure!that!light!alcohol!choices!are! Have!Coors!Light/Keiths/!Bud!in! Light!alcohol!choices!are!available.! Have!Keiths!lite!and!Bud!lite!and!they! 13 available. ∗∗! bottles!as!well!as!3!lite!choices!on!tap.! are!visible.! 3.!Ensure!the!availability!of!fresh!and! Wed!night!is!wing!night.!No!food!is! On!Thurs!nights!a!full!menu!is!available! No!food!is!served.!The!university! interesting!foods!where!alcohol!is!served.14!! served!Tues,!Fri,!Sat.!Snack!food!is! until!10!pm.!On!all!other!nights,!as!well! cafeteria!is!downstairs!and!serves!food! available!downstairs!(and!outside!the! as!during!special!events,!a!full!menu!is! for!special!events! Bar)!in!the!Student!Union!market.! available!until!7!pm.! 4.!Ensure!that!high!salt!content!foods!(nuts,! Nuts!and!chips!are!not!served!in!the! Nuts!and!chips!are!not!served!in!the! Nuts!and!chips!are!not!served!in!the! chips)!are!not!served!as!they!promote!thirst.15! Bar.! Bar.! Bar.! 5.!No!sale!of!caffeinated!energy!drinks!or!preD The!Bar!sells!Jager!bombs!(a!shot!of! Bar!tenders!are!not!allowed!to!mix! The!sale!of!caffeinated!energy!drinks!or! mixed!caffeinated!alcoholic!beverages! black!licorice!liquor!added!to!3!ozs!of! caffeinated!alcoholic!drinks!but! preDmixed!caffeinated!alcoholic! an!energy!drink).!! students!are!allowed!to!mix!their!own.! beverages!is!prohibited.! They!are!sold!mostly!during!the!day!but! on!Fri!nights,!the!bar!may!sell!5!cans!of! an!energy!drink.!There(is(not(a(huge( market(for(Jager(bombs(at(CBU.! 6.!No!single!shots!of!alcohol!(shooters)! The!Bar!has!a!separate!Shooters!bar! The!bar!sells!shooters!but!they!are!less! The!bar!sells!shooters!but!they!have!to! and!sells!both!1!oz!and!2!oz!shots.! popular!than!mixed!drinks.! be!drunk!at!the!bar.!‘The!campus!is!not! a!shooter!culture.’! 7.!Limit!amount!of!spirits!in!drinks!to!1!oz.! The!bar!sells!both!singles!(1!oz)!and! The!bar!sells!both!singles!(1!oz)!and! The!bar!sells!both!singles!(1!oz)!and! doubles!(2!ozs).! doubles!(2!ozs).! doubles!(2!ozs).! 8.!Limit!the!number!of!drinks!that!can!be! Drinks!are!limited!to!2!per!person!at! Drinks!are!limited!to!2!per!person!at!any! Drinks!are!limited!to!2!per!person!at!any! purchased!by!any!person!at!one!time! any!one!time.!! one!time.! one!time.!The#limit#on#drinks#per#person#is# 4#per#evening#–#the#Smart#Serve#limit.! Patron!is!then!cut!off!&!given!water.! ! 30#

9.!Regulate!service!of!alcohol!after!12!am! Drinks!are!limited!to!one!per!person! Drinks!are!limited!to!2!per!person!at!any! Drinks!are!limited!to!2!per!person!at!any! at!12:45!am.! time.! time.! 10.!Limit!the!size!of!drink!containers!to!reflect! Size!of!drink!containers!at!bar:!16!oz! Drink!containers!reflect!standard!drink! Drink!containers!reflect!standard!drink! standard!drink!sizes.! for!beer;!5!oz!for!wine;!1!or!2!oz!for! sizes!as!governed!by!the!liquor!control! sizes!as!governed!by!the!liquor!control! spirits.!Pitchers!are!48!oz!(do!not! laws.! laws.! allow!60!ozs).! 11.!Have!alcohol!pricing!reflect!the!percentage! Bar!prices!are!set!high!to!limit!the! Beer!and!shots!cost!$4.50;!shooters!cost! Draft!is!$3.00;!bottle!beer!is!$4.00;!high! of!alcohol!(i.e.!beverages!that!contain!less! number!of!drinks!per!patron!(though! $5.00!and!wine!costs!$4.75.! balls!$3.75!and!shooters!are!$3.25.!Sells! alcohol!than!calculated!in!one!standard!drink! recognizes!this!may!lead!to!preD nothing!below!the!minimum!prices!set! are!priced!lower!than!drinks!containing!one! drinking).!Bar’s!approach!is!to!monitor! by!the!province.! standard!drink!of!alcohol).!! the!students!in!the!bar.!! 12.!No!‘Happy!Hours’!or!discount!sales.! The!bar!does!not!have!‘happy!hours’! The!bar!does!not!have!‘happy!hours’.! The!pub!does!not!have!‘happy!hours’! but!does!reduce!prices!for!special! Addiction!Services!say!‘happy!hours’! but!every!night!there!is!something!on! events!(e.g.,!on!Alexander!Keith’s!bD promote!power!drinking!but!the! special;!e.g.,!Draft!is!available!at!$2.75.! day!a!pitcher!is!reduced!from!$16!to! manager!indicates!the!Student!Union! $13.)!and!the!bar!usually!has!a!special! wants!them!back!because!they!get! every!night.!On!Friday!nights,!patrons! students!out!of!the!residences!where! can!play!‘!a!shooter!wheel’!at!the! they!drink!behind!closed!doors.!‘Happy! Shooter!Bar.!If!it!lands!on!a!shot,!the! hours’!are!seen!as!a!‘doubleDedged! cost!is!dropped!from!$5.75!to!$4.25.! sword.!! 13.!Eliminate!games!that!create!mixed!drink! The!bar!has!theme!night!(e.g.!Screech! The!bar!has!no!drinking!games!or! The!pub!has!no!drinking!games!or! ‘specials’!for!the!night.! night)!but!there!are!no!games!or! wheels.! wheels.! hidden!ingredients.!Patrons!always! know!what!they!are!drinking.!

The!Shooter!bar!does!have!a!shooter! wheel!–!if!it!lands!on!a!‘shot,!the!price! drops!from!$5.75!to!$4.25.! 14.!Eliminate!‘last!calls’.! The!bar!has!‘last!call’!at!12:40!am.! The!bar!has!no!‘last!calls’.!! The!pub!has!‘last!call’!at!12:30!am!and! the!pub!closes!at!12:45!am.! !

! ! ! 31#

3.1.2#con’t:#Best#Practices#related#to#Beverage#Service#and#Restrictions:!Designed(to(provide(bar(management(and(staff(with(a(set(of(tools(to( reduce(the(overconsumption(of(alcohol(and(the(harmful(effects(associated(with(the(over?consumption(of(alcohol.(

Policies#and#Practices! Mount#St#Vincent#University# St.#Francis#Xavier#University# St.#Mary’s#University# 1.!Ensure!that!nonDalcoholic!beverages!are! Pop!and!water!are!available!at!a!lower! NonDalcoholic!beverages!are!available!at! NonDalcoholic!beverages!are!available!at! visibly!available!at!all!times!and!available!at! cost!than!alcohol!and!some!are!free.! all!times,!are!visible!&#are#free#for# all!times,!are!visible!&are!priced!at!a! lower!prices!than!alcoholic!beverages,!or!free! Signs!are!available!identifying!drink! designated#drivers.!! lower!cost!than!alcohol.!Water!is!free! of!charge.! choices.! by!the!glass.! 2.!Ensure!that!light!alcohol!choices!are! The!bar!stocks!a!selection!of!3!to!4!lite! The!bar!stocks!lite!beers! Lite!choices!are!always!available.!Coors! available! beers!and!one!lite!cooler.! lite!is!the!best!seller.! 3.!Ensure!the!availability!of!fresh!and! A!food!menu!with!a!good!choice!is! The!bar!operates!a!food!menu!from! A!full!bar!food!menu!is!available!until!7! interesting!foods!where!alcohol!is!served! available!at!all!hours!the!bar!is!open.! 5pm!–!8pm!on!the!days!it!is!open.!Pub! pm.! The!menu!is!on!the!tables.! food!and!mains!are!available.!Late!night! different!societies!will!sell!grilled!cheese! ! sandwiches!to!raise!money!for!their! groups! ! 4.!Ensure!that!high!salt!content!foods!(nuts,! Nuts!and!chips!are!not!served!in!the! Nuts!and!chips!are!not!served!in!the! Nuts!and!chips!are!not!served!in!the! chips)!are!not!served!as!they!promote!thirst.! Bar.!! Bar.! Pub.!

There(is(a(store(across(the(hall(where( ‘junk’(food(is(available.( 5.!No!sale!of!caffeinated!energy!drinks!or! The!Bar!sells!caffeinated!energy!drinks! The!Bar!sells!caffeinated!energy!drinks! The!bar!sells!Jager!bombs.! preDmixed!caffeinated!alcoholic!beverages! and!allows!patrons!to!mix!them!with! and!allows!patrons!to!mix!them!with! alcohol.(The(bar(gets(many(requests(for( alcohol.!Staff!do!not!mix!them.!! them.! 6.!No!single!shots!of!alcohol!(shooters)! The!Bar!sells!both!1!oz!and!2!oz!shots.! The!bar!sells!shooters.!Usually!it!i!s!guys! Shots!are!the!most!popular!drink!on! All!the!‘girlie’!shooters!are!low!alcohol!–! who!buy!shooters!for!their!male!friends.! Wed!nights.!Usually!sell!upwards!of!100! 11D12%.! shots;!75!to!males,!25!to!females.!! 7.!Limit!amount!of!spirits!in!drinks!to!1!oz.! The!bar!sells!both!singles!(1!oz)!and! The!bar!sells!both!singles!(1!oz)!and! The!bar!sells!both!singles!(1!oz)!and! doubles!(2!ozs).! doubles!(2!ozs).! doubles!(2!ozs).! 8.!Limit!the!number!of!drinks!that!can!be! Legally!drinks!are!limited!to!2!per! Drinks!are!limited!to!2!per!person!at!any! The!bar!encourages!two!drinks!to!a! purchased!by!any!person!at!one!time! person!at!any!one!time.!May!sell!more! one!time.! person.!Staff!uses!common!sense;!if!a! during!nonDbusy!times!when!bar!tender! person!is!buying!for!the!varsity!team,! can!see!the!#!of!people!at!the!table.! and!staff!can!see!the!team,!then!will!sell! them!and!hand!them!over!to!the!team.! After!‘last!call’,!drinks!are!limited!to!one! per!person.! ! 32#

9.!Regulate!service!of!alcohol!after!12!am! Drinks!are!reduced!to!one!per!person! Drinks!are!limited!to!2!per!person!at!any! Drinks!are!limited!to!2!per!person!at!any! after!‘last!call’.! time.! time.! 10.!Limit!the!size!of!drink!containers!to! Drink!containers!reflect!standard!drink! Drink!containers!reflect!standard!drink! Beer:!16!oz!glass!for!a!14!oz!pour;!20!oz! reflect!standard!drink!sizes.! sizes!as!governed!by!the!liquor!control! sizes!as!governed!by!the!liquor!control! glass!for!a!18!oz!pour;!60!oz!pitcher!for! laws.! laws.! a!56!oz!pour! 11.!Have!alcohol!pricing!reflect!the! Bar!does!not!underprice!as!it!is!seen!as! The!bar!has!three!price!points!daily.!See! $4.25!a!beer!,!$4.00!for!draft;!$16!a! percentage!of!alcohol!(i.e.!beverages!that! encouraging!overconsumption.!A!single! below.! pitcher!(4!drafts);!$4.50!well!shot,!$4.75! contain!less!alcohol!than!calculated!in!one! costs!$4.50,!a!double!costs!$9.00!(no! wine.! standard!drink!are!priced!lower!than!drinks! savings).!18!oz!draft!costs!$5.25;!bottled! containing!one!standard!drink!of!alcohol).! beer!&!well!shots!cost!$4.50.!‘Alcohol!is! ! a!responsibility,!not!a!right’.! ! 12.!No!‘Happy!Hours’!or!discount!sales.! The!bar!has!‘student!saver!hours’!from! The!bar!offers!Happy!Hour!from!5!pm!to! The!bar!has!a!daily!‘happy!hour’!from!4! 4:40!pm!to!7!pm!on!both!draft!&! 9!pm!but!prices!are!reduced!on!draft! pm!to!6:30!pm!and!on!Wed!nights!from! bottled!beer!&!well!shots.!! beer!only;!($14!for!a!pitcher!and!$4!a! 9!pm!to!10:30!pm.!Prices!are!$3!a!shot;! shot.!From!9!pm!to!10!pm,!prices!are! $3.50!a!draft;!$4.00!a!beer.! reduced!on!well!shots!&!draft!($13!for!a! pitcher!&!$2.50!a!shot.!From!10!pm!to! closing!the!bar!offers!specific!specials! with!remaining!prices!regular!($16! pitcher,!$4!shot).!Wine!is!always!$6.50! (200ml!bottle).!! 13.!Eliminate!games!that!create!mixed!drink! The!bar!has!no!drinking!games!or! The!bar!has!no!drinking!games!or! The!bar!has!no!drinking!games!or! ‘specials’!for!the!night.! wheels.! wheels.! wheels.! 14.!Eliminate!‘last!calls’.! The!DJ!announces!last!call!at!12:40!am.! The!bar!has!‘last!calls’!at!12:30!am.! There!is!a!‘last!call’!at!12:30!am.! After!‘last!call’,!drinks!are!limited!to!one! per!person.! !

! ! ! 33#

3.1.3:#Best#Practices#relating#to#Transportation:16Designed(to(ensure(that(any(person,(who(is(or(appears(to(be(intoxicated,(will(not(be(permitted( to(leave(the(premises(until(reasonable(steps(have(been(taken(to(ensure(that(person’s(safe(accompaniment(or(transport.(

Policies#and#Practices# Acadia#University# Cape#Breton#University# Dalhousie#Faculty#of#Agriculture# 1.!Staff!involved!in!removing!patrons!from!onD Emergency!Health!Services!(EHS)! Emergency!Health!Services!(EHS)! Bar!staff!call!campus!Security!to!help! campus!establishments!will!encourage!the!use! personnel!has!provided!EHS!training!to!all! personnel!has!provided!EHS!training!to! safely!remove!patron!from!the!pub! of!harm!reduction!or!emergency!services!as! bar!staff,!(and!residence!staff!&!House! all!bar!staff,!(and!residence!staff!&! and!determine!next!steps.!! needed.! Councils).!Staff!have!been!provided!with!a! House!Councils).!Staff!have!been! level!of!comfort!to!pick!up!the!phone!and! provided!with!a!level!of!comfort!to!pick! ! make!the!911!call!if!there!is!any!doubt!of! up!the!phone!and!make!the!911!call!if! a!patron’s!safety.! there!is!any!doubt!of!a!patron’s!safety.! ! 2.!Staff!will!make!every!effort!to!find! Use!Safety!&!Security!walk!home!service! If!awake!and!inebriated,!bar!manager! In!the!past,!Security!would!make!the! appropriate!accompaniment!to!ensure!the! or!the!student!union’s!shuttle!service.!Bar! tries!to!identify!a!friend!to!take!patron! call,!would!walk!or!watch!the! patron’s!safety.! staff!also!call!Residences!to!alert!them!to! home;!gets!Security!to!take!home;!or! student!walk!home!(all!3!Residences! student!on!their!way!so!the!RAs!are!ready! sometimes!the!bar!tender!will!take!a! are!within!eyesight)!of!pub.!Head! for!them.!OffDcampus!students!have!the! student!home.!Also!notifies!the!RA!of! office!recently!changed!the!rules!so! same!access!to!Shuttle!service!as!onD the!details.!! that!Security!are!no!longer!allowed! campus!students.! to!stand!outside!the!building!where! the!pub!is!located.! 3.!If!no!safe!transportation!home!is!available! The!Student!Union’s!shuttle!service!will! For!offDcampus!students,!the!bar!staff! For!offDcampus!students,!the!bar! to!a!patron!removed!from!an!onDcampus! take!offDcampus!students!home.! calls!a!cab,!puts!them!in,!pays!out!of! staff!calls!a!cab!&!puts!them!in.! establishment,!a!taxi!chit!will!be!provided!(and! own!pocket.!Efforts!are!made!to!have!a! Efforts!are!made!to!have!a!friend! a!taxi!called)!to!ensure!safe!transport.! friend!accompany!them.! accompany!them.!! Policies#and#Practices# Mount#St.#Vincent#University# St.#Francis#Xavier#University## St.#Mary’s#University# 1.!Staff!involved!in!removing!patrons!from!onD If!person!can’t!stand,!is!vomiting,! For!those!students!not!in!control!of! If!student!is!intoxicated!to!point!of! campus!establishments!will!encourage!the!use! manager!or!assistant!manager!are!called! their!faculties,!XPatrol!will!assess!and! requiring!medical!intervention,! of!harm!reduction!or!emergency!services!as! &!ask!what!alcohol/drugs!they’ve!taken;! make!the!decision!on!whether!medical! campus!security!is!called!who!in!turn! needed.! what!food!eaten.!Bar!staff!have!called!an! attention!or!police!attention!is!needed.! call!911.! ambulance!on!occasion.! XPatrol!are!trained!in!determining!if! medical/police!attention!is!required.! 2.!Staff!will!make!every!effort!to!find! Bar!staff!will!release!an!intoxicated! Bar!staff!typically!try!to!find!friends!of! If!student!lives!on!campus,!bar!staff! appropriate!accompaniment!to!ensure!the! student!to!a!sober!friend!but!not!to!a! the!individual!to!take!responsibility!for! will!get!friends!to!walk!home.!Or!the! patron’s!safety.! drunk!friend;!in!other!cases!bar!staff!alert! getting!them!home!safe;!XPatrol!will! door!staff!will!walk!home.!(Campus! Security!or!MSVU!Crew!to!come!and! also!assist.!There!is!also!a!walk!home! security!will!not!provide!this!service).! meet!them.!Staff!never!leave!the!student! service!on!campus!and!a!drive!home! alone.! service!for!students!off!campus.!! ! 34#

!

3.!If!no!safe!transportation!home!is!available! Bar!staff!will!call!a!taxi!and!see!that! STFX!has!a!van!paid!by!Student!Union! If!offDcampus,!staff!will!call!a!taxi! to!a!patron!removed!from!an!onDcampus! student!is!accompanied!for!safety.!Bar! (from!bar!profits)!that!is!used!to!drive! paid!for!by!the!Student!Union.!Will! establishment,!a!taxi!chit!will!be!provided!(and! staff!pay!out!of!own!pocket!if!student! offDcampus!students!home.!! attempt!to!find!a!friend!to!accompany! a!taxi!called)!to!ensure!safe!transport.! unable!to!pay.! in!taxi! ! ! ! 35#

3.2# Advertising#Policies# Evidence!from!a!literature!review!carried!out!for!the!Nova!Scotia!Department!of!Health! Promotion!and!Protection!(2009)!indicates!that!advertising!by!the!alcohol!industry!both! encourages!youth!(aged!15D26)!to!takeDup!drinking!as!well!as!increase!their!consumption!if! already!drinking.!Evidence!also!ties!repeated!exposure!to!advertising!by!the!alcohol!industry!to! overconsumption!of!alcohol!by!young!people.!17!!!

Student!unions!can!limit!the!impact!of!the!alcohol!industry!on!students!by!putting!in!place!an! advertising!policy!to!govern!their!student!bars!(including!special!events).!The!alcohol!policies!in! place!at!both!Queen’s!University!and!Guelph!University!provide!examples!of!best!practices! relating!to!restrictions!on!advertising!including:!

• No!advertising!of!any!event!that!promotes!excessive!consumption!of!alcohol!as!the! focus!of!the!event.! • No!advertising!that!links!drinking!to!improved!health,!intellectual!or!physical! performance.! • No!advertising!that!links!drinking!to!improved!social!status!or!popularity.! • No!advertising!that!promotes!sexism!or!discrimination.! • No!advertising!of!prices.!Events!can!be!advertised!(e.g.,!Martini!Monday)!but!the!price!is! to!be!excluded.! ! A!further!best!practice!explicitly!prohibits!the!association!of!sex!and!alcohol!or!implying!sexual! attractiveness!or!sexual!success!due!to!alcohol!consumption.!! Advertising!in!place!at!the!student!unionDrun!bar!at!Dalhousie’s!Faculty!of!Agriculture!is! governed!by!a!strict!code.!They!are!the!only!bar!of!the!six!that!bans!usage!of!liquor!logos!on! posters!and!other!advertising!media.!All!others!use!‘blanks’!provided!by!liquor!companies!for! promotion!purposes.!The!‘blanks’!come!with!the!company!logo!(but!no!pictures!or!products).!! ! The!Agricultural!campus’s!student!union!also!prohibits!the!advertising!of!drink!prices!on!all! posters!and!on!their!website.!! ! While!bar!management!at!Mount!St.!Vincent!and!St.!Mary’s!University!use!posters!and!other! media!to!promote!the!event!(e.g.,!Martini!Monday)!they!do!not!advertise!prices.! ! The!bars!at!each!of!Acadia!and!StFX!however!do!advertise!pricing!on!posters!and!their!websites.! Some!student!unions!also!permit!the!alcohol!industry!to!advertise!inside!their!bars!on!clocks!etc.! and!in!their!student!newspapers.! ! The!effectiveness!of!student!union!policies!in!restricting!advertising!by! the!alcohol!industry!on!campus!is!compromised!by!the!lack!of!campusD “!We!treat!alcohol! wide!policies!on!advertising.!At!St.!Mary’s!University,!for!example,!the! and!tobacco!very! Athletics!Department!has!an!agreement!with!a!large!beer!company.!As! differently.!We!don’t! one!of!the!Huskies!major!sponsors,!they!have!advertising!in!all!the! have!a!cigarette! football!programs!and!are!invited!to!the!Athlete!Awards!reception.! package!blown!up!on! Although!in!2013,!St.!Mary’s!went!tobaccoDfree,!at!football!games!there! the!sports!field.”! is!a!huge!blowup!of!a!beer!can!on!the!field!alongside!a!beer!truck.!! ! 36#

3.3# Event#Risk#Assessment#Procedures# ! As!part!of!their!mandate!Student!Unions!provide!a!wide!range!of!social!programming;!they!also! support!student!societies!and!house!councils!which!also!put!on!special!events!for!their! members.!Some!events!are!wet,!some!dry!and!some!are!wet/dry.!In!all!cases,!the!student!union! and!university!staff!require!all!primary!sponsors!of!the!event!to!complete!an!events!risk! assessment!form.!! ! Tools!that!determine!level!of!risk!associated!with!holding!special!student!events!on!or!offD campus!are!considered!a!best!practice.!Known!as!Event&Risk&Assessment!procedures,!these!tools! require!students,!when!planning!any!special!event!(alcoholic!or!nonDalcoholic),!to!complete!a! checkDlist!and!review!it!with!university!safety!staff!as!a!condition!of!holding!an!event.!This! process!is!intended!to!help!students!think!about!risks!and!come!up!with!strategies!to!reduce! risks.!! ! Table!3.3.1!summarizes!current!risk!assessment!practices!in!place!across!the!six!campuses!and! used!by!student!leaders!when!planning!events.!A!review!of!the!table!indicates!that:!

• Three!of!the!six!student!unions!have!detailed!events!planning!forms!and!processes!in! place!which!meet!the!suggested!best!practice!(Acadia,!Cape!Breton!University!and! StFX).! • A!fourth!student!union!has!a!policy!and!checkDlist!in!progress!(Mt.!St.!Vincent).! • A!fifth!has!a!review!process!but!no!form!(Dalhousie!Faculty!of!Agriculture).! • The!sixth!has!an!events!form!but!the!information!required!is!minimal!and!not!clearly! specified!(St.!Mary’s).! ! An!example!of!a!risk!assessment!tool!considered!a!best!practice!tool!is!replicated!in!Figure!3.3.2.! ! ! ! 37#

Table#3.3.1#

Procedures#relating#to#Event#Risk#Assessment#

University* *Risk*–*Criteria*Assessment*Tools*or*Procedures* Acadia* The$Acadia$Students’$Union$requires$an$‘Event$Request$Form’$be$ University* completed$and$reviewed$by$the$ASU’s$Building$&$Events$Manager$for$all$ student$events$over$15$people.$The$form$requires$Club/House$Council$ information$(names$and$contact$information;$information$on$type$of$event$ (wet,$dry,$wet/dry);$location;$number$of$attendees;$start/end$times;$cost$ of$admission;$sober$attendees’$names/student$numbers;$theme$ requested;$sponsor;$and$music$source.).$The$checklist$requires:$1$sober$ per$75$attendees;$‘adequate’$amount$of$food$per$attendee;$poster$ approval;$hydration$station/mock$cocktail.$The$event$form$and$waiver$ must$be$passed$in$one$week$before$date$of$event.$ Cape*Breton* The$CBU$Students’$Union$has$adopted$a$detailed$8$page$Society$Event$ University* Planning$Form.$It$collects$information$on$the$host$group;$primary$event$ organizer;$alcoholUrelated$details;$food$details;$student$ages;$ID$requireU ments;$transportation$details;$physical$activity$&$personal$safety$risks;$ community$relations$(on$&$off$campus)$risks;$&$proposed$budget.$The$ form$must$be$submitted$14$days$prior$to$the$event,$to$be$reviewed$and$ signed$by$the$CBU$Campus$Affairs$coordinator$and$Director$of$Finance$ and$Operations$for$approval$and$signature.$* Dalhousie* There’s!a!procedure!rather!than!a!form!in!place!at!the!Dalhousie!Agricultural! Faculty*of* Students’!Association.!At!the!start!of!each!semester,!the!Students’! Agriculture* Association!compiles!all!upcoming!events!and!meets!with!the!Assistant!Dean! to!review!all!campus!alcoholDrelated!events.! Mount*St.* The!university!has!expanded!the!mandate!of!its!Large!Events!Committee,! Vincent* made!up!of!Security,!Housing,!bar!manager,!&!VP!Life,!to!review!all!special! University* events,!large!&!small.!The!Committee!is!in!process!of!developing!one!set!of! standards,!a!check!list,!to!identify!problems!before!they!happen,!(e.g.,!preD drinking.)!! St.*Francis* The!university!has!a!detailed!six!page!Event!Risk!Assessment!Form!for!all! Xavier* events!which!must!be!submitted!to!an!Events!Review!Committee!10!days! University* prior!to!the!scheduled!event!(the!committee!meets!every!Wed.!am).!The! form!collects!information!on!event!(name/date/start!&!end!time/!name!of! host!group;!info!on!primary!event!organizer!and!description!of!the!event.!It! requires!information!on!expected!number!of!guests!including!number!of!StFX! students!and!nonDstudents!(under!19!and!over!19);!location!of!event;!alcohol! involvement!both!before!event!and!at!event!including!liquor!services! contract;!safety!&!security!presence!including!signature!of!S&S!manager;! details!on!food;!details!on!transportation;!details!on!physical!activity/safety! risk!including!proof!of!first!aid!if!relevant;!community!relations!risk.!Several! signatures!from!the!sponsoring!organization!are!required!&!If!alcohol!is! involved,!the!signature!of!the!Supervisor,!Liquor!Services!is!required.! ! ! ! 38#

St.*Mary’s* The!St.!Mary’s!University!Students’!Association!requires!all!student!societies! University* planning!an!event!that!includes!‘Alcohol,!Transportation!or!Activity’!to! complete!a!2!page!‘Student!Event!Risk!Management!Form’!for!review!by!the! Student!Union!Society!coordinator!10!days!before!the!planned!event.!The! form!collects!very!basic!information.! !

Table#3.3.2##

Risk#Criteria#For#Events#Serving#Alcohol18*

Determine(the(overall(risk(of(your(event(by(selecting(either(the(low,(medium(or(high(rating(for( each(of(the(criteria(in(the(left(hand(column.(One(or(more(criteria(which(have(a(rating(of(High( can(raise(the(overall(risk(of(the(event(to(high.(For$an$event$that$is$calculated$as$an$overall$medium$ risk$or$above,$strategies$must$be$put$in$place$to$reduce$the$level$of$risk.$

$ Low$Risk$Event$ Medium$Risk$Event$ High$Risk$Event$ Venue$ On$campus$licensed$ Off$campus$licensed$ Other$ Advertising$ NonUalcoholic$and$ ‘Happy$Hour’$drinks$ All$you$can$drink$ alcoholic$beverages$ packages$ Alcohol$ NonUalcoholic$ NonUalcoholic$ Full$strength$and$light$ beverages$served,$light$ beverages$served,$full$ beer,$wine,$spirits$and$ beer$only,$no$spirits$ strength$beer$as$well$ water$ as$light$beer$and$wine$ Food$ Two/three$course$ Food$(dips,$cheese,$ No$food$or$only$salty$ meal$served$near$start$ crackers$etc)$available$ food$(chips,$nuts)$ of$event$ ½$hour$before$alcohol$ available$ Supervision$ Dedicated$supervision$ Part$time$supervision$ No$supervision$ Length$of$event$ <2$hours$ 2U4$hours$ >4$hours$ Bar$Staff$ Trained$paid$staff$ Combination$of$paid$ Self$serve$or$ staff$and$volunteers$ volunteers$ (trained$and$ (untrained),$BYOB$ untrained)$ Bar$Service$ Cash$(licensed)$ Combination$ Open/BYOB$ Type$of$activity$ Low$key$ Special$occasion$ Party$(end$of$year,$ major$sport$event)$ Accessibility$ Majority$can$walk,$get$ Majority$must$drive,$ Everyone$must$drive,$ taxis$or$use$public$ taxis$and$public$transit$ no$public$transit$ transit$ available$ Mobility$of$event$ Event$starts$and$ Event$starts$in$one$ Pub$crawl$type$event,$ finishes$in$one$location$ place$then$people$are$ three$or$more$ encouraged$to$move$to$ locations$ another$ Crowd$mix$ >Number$of$females$ Females$equal$to$males$ >Number$of$males$

Broad$age$mix$ People$in$20’sU30’s$ People$in$18U25s$ Number$of$People$ <50$ 50U100$ >100$ Underage$present$ None$ Limited$ 20+%$of$attendees$

! 39#

3.4# House#Councils#and#Societies# ! Three!of!the!six!campuses!(Acadia,!Dalhousie’s!Faculty!of!Agriculture!and! StFX)!have!house!councils!as!part!of!student!residence!life.!Normally! “It!was!common! elected!by!their!fellow!students,!house!councils!are!responsible!for!all! to!see!house! social!events!put!on!by!their!respective!residence.!House!councils! presidents! however!have!often!come!under!criticism!for!their!focus!on!partying!and! buying!alcohol! unsafe!drinking!practices.!! for!underDaged! ! students.”! In!an!effort!to!change!the!partying!culture!in!residences!at!StFX,!and!to! make!the!councils!accountable!to!the!student!union,!the!process!for! -&Student&leader& selection!of!house!council!membership!was!recently!changed!from!an! election!to!an!application!process.!House!residents!still!nominate!their! ! representatives!but!student!union!executive!review!the!written!applications!and!interviews!the! applicants.!! ! Feedback!indicates!the!change!is!working.!Parties!and!themed!events!are!no!longer!permitted!in! residence;!house!councils!are!mandated!instead!to!run!several!campaigns!a!year!from!raising! funds!to!support!the!cancer!society!and!the!student!food!bank!to!hosting!a!variety!of!outdoor! healthy!living!activities!(capture!the!flag,!scavenger!hunts,!intramurals).!Houses!compete!for! points!and!the!house!with!the!most!points!wins!the!House!of!the!Year!award,!handed!out!during! Awards!Night.! ! At!the!Dalhousie!Agricultural!campus,!House!Councils!are!not!permitted!to!provide!alcohol!at! their!events.!While!there!may!be!events!where!students!are!drinking,!they!are!never!advertised! as!drinking!events!or!intended!as!drinking!events.! ! Student!unions!at!Cape!Breton!University,!St.!Mary’s!and!StFX!have!also!banned!pub!crawls!for! events!hosted!by!their!societies.!! ! !

! 40#

4.0$Individual$Strategies:$Other$ Opportunities+for+Student+Union+Influence#

“…&promoting&a&campus&environment&that&facilitates&positive&mental&health& and&promotes&connectedness&among&students&and&the&community&will& reinforce&a&moderate&alcohol&message.”&(The&Strang&Report)& & Student!leadership!has!a!major!role!to!play!in!building! community!and!connectedness!on!campus!and!also!in! “NonDalcoholic! promoting!positive!mental!health.!By!developing!and! programming!supported!by! implementing!strategies!and!programming!in!collaboration! the!Student!Union!is! with!university!staff!and!community!partners,!student!leaders! important.!Peer!to!peer! can!start!to!shift!culture!away!from!events!that!focus!on! communication!on!this!is! heavy!drinking!towards!events!that!encourage!positive! important.!They!need!to! relationship!building!and!healthy!living.!! keep!giving!students! ! ‘permission’!to!do!different! This!chapter!looks!at!ways!that!student!unions!and!other! things.!We!need!their!active! student!leaders!can!contribute!to!healthy!community!building! and!consistent! as!well!as!providing!examples!of!studentDled!initiatives! involvement.”! addressed!to!the!reduction!of!student!high!risk!drinking.! ! -&University&staff& 4.1# Changing#the#Culture## ! ! Student!leadership!can!jumpDstart!the!shift!in!culture!by! changing!expectations!on!the!role!that!alcohol!plays!in!the! “We!need!to!start!with! social!life!of!a!campus.!It!is!often!said!that!campus!drinking! the!freshmen...teach! is!‘a!rite!of!passage’,!and!that!students!are!expected!to!‘try! them!what!a!norm!for!a! out!their!wings’!their!first!year!away!from!home.!These! Friday!night!is..!Start!with! expressions!have!become!accepted!as!the!norm!for!campus! the!kids!who!will!move! culture…!but!norms!can!change!and!first!year!students!offer! forward…this!is!how!to! a!starting!point!for!this!shift.! change!culture.”! ! Student!leaders!can!use!the!first!week!of!university!life!to! D&Residence&manager& show!students!that!there!are!options!to!have!fun!without! resorting!to!dangerous!drinking!games!and!other!risky! ! drinking!behaviour.!Student!Unions!across!the!six!campuses! already!support!a!dry!orientation!for!first!year!students!during!which!all!froshDrelatedDrelated! activities!are!dry!and!the!student!leaders!who!engage!with!the!students!are!also!alcohol–free.!! ! As!of!fall!2013,!Acadia!University!has,!supported!by!Acadia!Students’!Union,!instituted!a!‘no! drinking’!policy!behind!closed!doors!in!residence!throughout!orientation!week.!Instead,!students! are!allowed!to!drink!in!designated!spaces!in!residence!under!the!close!observation!and! ! 41# monitoring!by!trained!resident!assistants!and!welcome!week!student!leaders.!The!intent!behind! the!policy!is!to!support!a!new!culture!of!moderation!towards!alcohol!on!campus!rather!than! focusing!on!the!behaviour.!Should!any!student!participate!in!risky!behaviour,!residence!staff!will! intervene!proactively!and!hold!conversations!(brief!motivational!interventions)!related!to!the! risky!behaviour.!! !

4.!1.1!DeDnormalize!Heavy!Drinking! ! Awareness!campaigns!run!by!student!unions!can!be!used!to! make!heavy!drinking!and!its!risky!side!effects!such!as!vomiting! “The!international! and!blacking!out!as!‘socially!unacceptable’;!just!as!cigarette! students!have!a! smoking!and!driving!drunk!have!become.!An!example!of!such! different!culture! messaging!is!shown!on!the!following!page!(see!poster!created! around!drinking;!they! by!the!RESPECT!team!from!the!Dalhousie!Faculty!of! party!but!they!party! Agriculture).! differently.!It’s!about! ! the!music,!not!the! Social!marketing!could!also!be!used!to!encourage!students!to! alcohol.”! focus!on!‘the!event’!rather!than!the!alcohol.!Alcohol!could!still! be!available!but!the!focus!would!be!on!the!socializing!aspect!of! -&Residence&manager& the!event!rather!than!on!the!drinking.! ! ! Awareness!campaigns!could!adjust!the!misconceptions!some! students!hold!regarding!how!much!their!peers!drink,!by!providing!accurate!consumption!rates! along!with!messaging!on!the!risks!associated!with!overDconsumption!of!alcohol.!Students!often! overestimate!the!amount!of!drinking!that!occurs!among!their!peers!and!shape!their!own! behaviour!to!meet!the!perceived!norm.!! ! A!variety!of!onDline!screening!tools!also!offer!students!the!opportunity!to!obtain!insight!into! their!alcohol!consumption.!Student!unions!may!consider!purchasing!an!appropriate!tool!and! making!it!available!on!their!website!to!let!students!compare!their!drinking!to!how!much!others! drink.!Checkyourdrinking.net,!a!tool!developed!at!the!University!of!Toronto!and!validated!in! faceDtoDface!settings,!asks!several!simple!questions!about!drinking!habits!then!produces!a!report! detailing!percentage!of!days!a!person!drank!in!the!past!year,!number!of!pounds!they!gained! from!alcohol,!amount!of!money!they!spent!on!alcohol!and!how!their!drinking!measures!against! others!in!their!age!group.!It!also!gives!a!score!to!indicate!the!seriousness!of!their!drinking! ranging!from!“no!problem”!to!“dependence”.!! ! By!themselves,!these!interventions!may!not!bring!down!drinking!levels!because!drinking!rates! on!campus!are!unacceptably!high!to!begin!with,!just!not!as!high!as!perceived!by!many!students.! But!when!combined!with!the!types!of!environmental!strategies!addressed!to!lowering! consumption!rates!and!discussed!in!chapter!3!of!this!report,!their!effectiveness!may!well!be! enhanced.! ! 42#

!

Why#this#simple#tool#helps#curb#drinking:#

• People$don’t$like$to$be$seen$as$abnormal.$Heavy$drinkers$tend$ to$overestimate$how$much$others$drink$until$the$tool$tells$ them.$ • Seeing$in$black$and$white$the$number$of$calories$consumed$ and$amount$of$dollars$spent$can$be$a$powerful$incentive$for$ heavy$drinkers$to$reUthink$their$alcohol$consumption$patterns#

! 43#

Myth: “People pass out all the time from drinking too much alcohol. It’s no big deal.”

Fact: Losing consciousness is one of the signs of alcohol poisoning and is a potential medical emergency.

You might believe that getting drunk and passing out are part of the college or university experience, but they are not. The majority of Canadian students are making healthy choices about alcohol poisoning. To make a healthy choice, you need to be informed!

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! ! ! 44#

4.1.2! Providing!Options!that!Support!Relationship!and!Community!Building! ! Changing!the!campus!culture!will!require!student!unions! to!place!a!greater!emphasis!on!activities!and!events!that! “It’s!an!opportunity!for! promote!“natural!ways!of!getting!high”!and!decrease! students!to!make!change,! students’!reliance!for!having!fun!on!alcohol.! rethink!the!way!they’re! ! engaging!students!–!shift! “&We&need&to&do&a&better&job&around&alcohol;&need& focus!from!the!cool! to&provide&some&REAL&alternatives&to&consumption.& student!leader!who!creates! So&much&of&what&Student&Unions&do&revolves&around& events!at!the!bar!to!the! alcohol.&We&need&to&move&beyond&de-alcoholizing&of& cool!student!leader!who’s! events&(to)&create&real&opportunities&for&interacting& engaged!in!community! in&social&activities&that&don’t&revolve&around& leadership.”! alcohol.”&(Residence&Life&director)& & -&Addictions&staff& StFX*Students’*Union* Members!of!the!St.!Francis!Xavier!student!executive!agree! ! that!there!are!large!numbers!of!students!who!are!attracted!to!alcoholDfree!events!as!well!as! events!that!promote!community!building!and!have!attempted!to!provide!programming!that! meet!these!criteria:!! ! !“A&lot&of&students&across&the&student&population&have&asked&us&for&more&dry&events;& and&in&fact&most&events&we&put&on&are&dry.&There’s&Shine&On&(for&Shinerama)&and&we& also&put&on&events&at&the&student&bar&on&Saturday&nights&so&the&under-aged&students& can&attend&and&party&alcohol-free.&Each&House&has&money&in&their&budget&for&these& events….”! ! Acadia*Students’*Union* The!Acadia!Students’!Union!is!committed!to!building!a!nonDalcoholic! “NonDalcoholic! culture!in!which!all!students!feel!included!and!welcome.!Student! programming!is! leadership!reported!being!‘blown!away’!by!student!response!to! part!of!Acadia’s! something!as!simple!as!an!ice!cream!social!they!had!planned!as!part! culture.”! of!frosh!week.!Anticipating!a!turnDout!of!50!students,!student! leaders!ended!up!scrambling!for!access!to!more!ice!cream!when! -&Acadia& over!300!students!turned!out!for!the!event.!Similarly,!200!students! turned!out!for!a!Disney!Movie!Night.!These!numbers!indicate!that! administration& students!are!interested!in!and!will!attend!social!events!which! celebrate!relationship!building!and!friendship!and!do!not!revolve! ! around!alcohol.! ! University!staff!support!and!empower!the!student!union!in!their!social!and!culture! programming,!making!faculty!and!university!buildings!available!as!required.!In!this!way!the! grounds!and!fireDpit!at!Acadia’s!Irving!Environmental!Science!Centre!have!been!opened!up!to! students!for!outdoor!movie!nights,!camp!fires!and!nature!walks.! ! ! 45#

Most!of!the!60!plus!student!societies!and!clubs!at!Acadia!are!alcoholDfree;!intramural!run!events! are!alcoholDfree;!resident!assistants!schedule!over!1200!dry!programs!during!the!academic!year;! and!for!every!wet!event,!the!student!union!attempts!to!put!on!two!dry!events.!& * Cape*Breton*University*Students’*Union* Student!leadership!at!CBU!also!recognize!the!need!for!a!culture! “We!really!focused! shift!as!evidenced!by!changes!made!over!its!2013!orientation! this!year!on!getting! week.!! the!first!years!away! ! from!drinking!to! This!past!year!student!leaders!promoted!orientation!under!the! getting!together.”! slogan!“Frosh&Week&2013:&27&Countries,&One&Orange&Army”! reflecting!campus!pride!in!the!large!number!of!international! students!attracted!to!CBU,!and!their!school!colour.!Only!first!year! D!Student&leader& students!and!student!leaders!were!allowed!on!campus!the!first! four!days!of!orientation!during!which!they!received!a!range!of! ! programming!delivered!by!university!staff!(one!day)!with!the! remaining!time!devoted!to!a!range!of!social!events!(all!dry)!including!surfing!lessons,!a!trip!to! Louisburg,!movie!nights!and!bonfires.!Only!one!wetDonly!event!was!permitted!in!the!student! pub!for!the!entire!12Dday!extended!frosh!week.! ! The!impression!that!new!students!would!have!received!of!student!life!in!frosh!week!2013!is!in! sharp!contrast!to!the!impression!their!peers!would!have!received!two!years!earlier.!Then,!frosh! week!was!named!‘The!Froshover’,!a!take!off!on!the!movie!‘The!Hangover’.!The!week!was! promoted!with!materials!featuring!a!flip!cup!(a!drinking!game)!and!the!slogan!‘Forgetting&the& Most&Memorable&Week&of&your&Life’.!(Note:!Students!Services!reDcalled!the!tDshirts!when!they! saw!the!slogan).!!

Cape!Breton!University!Student!Union!also!partners!with!Addiction!Services!and!Health! Promotions!and!Prevention!of!the!CBDHA!to!hold!regular!atDleast!biDannual!student!assemblies! on!the!dangers!of!binge!drinking!to!promote!a!social,!not!sloppy!drinking!lifestyle.!In!addition,! the!student!leadership!has!established!a!Safety!and!Health!On!Campus!Society!(SHOC)!that! partners!with!CBDHA!to!promote!responsible!drinking,!and!mental!health!on!campus.!

Other*Opportunities*for*Change* Other!suggestions!for!impacting!culture!change!heard!in!the!interviews!include!establishment!of! coffee!houses!where!students!could!play!music,!engage!in!political!discussions,!hold!literary! events,!or!just!hang!out.!! ! “We&need&a&place&to&drink&Fair&Trade&coffee&and&discuss&social& Maybe!an! justice&issues.&Our&students&today&are&lost&in&their&use&of& opportunity!exists! technology;&they&need&encouragement&to&have&open& for!a!business! conversation&and&improve&dialogue&between&each&other.&It&could& graduate!to!open!a! be&a&place&for&board&games19,&to&play&pool&and&bring&in&student& coffee!house! musicians.”&(Student!health!director)! franchise!on! ! campus!in! Coffee!houses!could!also!offer!a!venue!for!engaging!the!student! partnership!with!a! population!in!conversations!on!changes!they!would!like!to!see! Fair!Trade!coffee! producer?!

!

! ! 46# on!campus!including!cultural!expectations!they!have!for!their!campus.! ! Providing!opportunities!to!have!fun!without!alcohol!will!be!attractive!not!only!to!those! students!who!do!not!drink!and!those!who!drink!only!minimally,!but!also!to!students!who! say!they!only!drink!because!of!the!lack!of!other!options.!! ! 4.2# Peer#Led#Programs# ! PeerDtoDpeer!initiatives!are!recognized!as!an!effective!approach!for!raising!awareness!around! highDrisk!drinking!and!enhancing!student!safety.!Participants!in!peerDled!programs!interact!with! their!fellow!students!on!a!daily!basis!and!share!similar!experiences!which!provide!them!with!the! trust!and!credibility!to!have!their!voices!heard.!Simply!put,!students!listen!to!their!peers.! ! Three!peerDled!initiatives!on!Nova!Scotia!campuses!aimed!at!addressing!students’!risky!drinking! practices!and!one!from!the!University!of!Saskatchewan!are!described!below.!

4.2.1! Acadia’s!Red!and!Blue!Crew! ! Acadia’s!Red&and&Blue&Crew!is!a!studentDled!initiative!designed!to! promote!responsible!drinking!and!help!reduce!highDrisk!drinking! “The!Red!and!Blue! through!awareness!building.!Established!at!Acadia!University!in! Crew!empowers! 2012,!the!Red!and!Blue!Crew!is!based!on!the!best!practice!Red! the!students!to! 20 Watch!Band!model!from!Stony!Brook!University!in!the!US. !!! help!make!a! ! difference!by! The!goal!of!the!training!provided!to!members!of!the!Red!and!Blue! changing!the! Crew!is!to!create!awareness!and!confidence!among!students!to!act! culture!of!drinking! if!they!see!other!students!in!distress.!In!addition!to!CPR!training,!the! here!at!Acadia!&! program!teaches!students!to:! beyond!its!doors.”!

• Identify!the!signs!before!it!gets!to!the!point!of!an!alcohol! –&Acadia&staff&& overdose! • Know!when!to!call!911! ! • Identify!high!risk!environments!and!high!risk!behaviours! • Know!myths!from!facts!regarding!alcohol!and!how!to!help!a!friend!sober!up!safely! • Help!create!a!safety!net!for!the!university!campus!and!community!by!responding!as!a! bystander!in!an!alcoholDrelated!situation.! ! Students!who!complete!the!training!receive!a!red!and!blue!band!that!they!are!encouraged!to! wear!when!they!go!to!bars!or!highDrisk!events.!The!program!is!totally!voluntary;!there!are!no!set! hours!or!shifts.!When!students!wear!the!band!they!are!reflecting!their!commitment!to!take!on! an!active!bystander!role!with!their!fellow!students.! ! In!2012D13,!the!program!trained!just!under!100!students!including!student!union! representatives!and!residence!assistants;!in!2013D14!the!program!trained!an!additional!100! students!including!members!of!the!student!executive,!athletes!from!the!varsity!teams!and!other! ! 47# student!leaders.!One!of!the!main!messages!the!Red!and!Blue!Crew!receive!in!their!training!is!to! call!911.!!

“We!see!calling!911!as!a!best!practice!because!it!takes!the!ownership!off!the!students!if! an!issue!occurs.!You!have!trained!medical!personnel!making!the!medical!decision!and! providing!the!advice!rather!than!a!first!year!student.!We!tell!them,!‘if!you!call!911,!you’re! not!going!to!get!in!trouble.’!Over!the!last!two!years,!there!have!been!30!D35!calls.!This! shows!our!commitment!to!the!process.”!

-&Student&Affairs&

! !

4.2.2! Dalhousie!Faculty!of!Agriculture’s!RESPECT!Team! ! In!place!on!the!Agricultural!campus!in!Truro!for!the!past!19!years,!the!peer!educator!program,! RESPECT,!provides!education!and!awareness!on!health!and!lifestyle.!The!team!consists!of!three! to!four!peer!educators!trained!and!supervised!by!the!student!health!centre!director.!While!not!a! program!of!the!student!union,!RESPECT!is!an!example!of!programming!that!student!unions! could!establish!and/or!support!with!funding!across!their!campuses.! ! Alcohol!and!sexual!assault!and!the!link!between!the!two!have!been!a!major!emphasis!of!the! RESPECT!team.!During!orientation!week,!the!team!delivers!a!mandatory!presentation!to!all!new! students!on!consent!and!the!implications!when!consent!is!lacking.!The!peer!educators!also!post! facts!and!questions!relating!to!alcohol!and!consent!on!bulletin!boards!throughout!the! residences.! & The!peer!educators!routinely!leave!a!note!on!all!unattended!drinks!in!the!bar!and!on!highDrisk! drinking!days!like!St.!Paddy’s,!they!stock!the!campus!pub!with!condoms,!tagged!with!the! reminder,!“Did&you&get&consent?”! ! In!response!to!feedback!that!students!did!not!know!the!size!of!a! standard!drink,!the!Health!Centre!director!and!RESPECT!team! In!a!test!to! brought!in!staff!from!Addiction!Services.!He!set!up!a!variety!of! determine!student! bottles!and!glasses!in!the!student!residence!lounges,!asked! awareness!of! students!to!pour!what!they!considered!to!be!a!standard!drink,! standard!drink! then!showed!actual!standard!sizes.!On!average,!students!freeD sizes,!students!freeD poured!a!single!and!a!half!to!a!double.!! poured!a!single!and! ! a!half!to!a!double.! Over!the!fall!of!2013,!the!RESPECT!team!organized!a!banner! competition!among!the!three!residences!and!the!offDcampus! students.!Each!was!asked!to!come!with!a!‘responsible!drinking’! slogan!that!would!appeal!to!university!students.!The!four!slogans!read:! ! ! ! 48#

!

• “Age&up&before&you&drink!”&& • “Drinking:&have&a&strategy!””& • “Drink&responsibly:&Santa&is&watching&you!”& • “It&is&easier&to&stay&off&drugs&than&get&off&drugs!”!”& ! The!banners!were!hung!outside!their!respective!residences!and!the!offDcampus!banner!was! hung!outside!the!main!building!where!courses!are!held.!They!were!judged!by!a!3Dmember!panel! made!up!of!two!student!services!staff!and!one!faculty.!! ! The!winning!slogan!is!featured!below.!(Note:!The!“Drinking:!Have!a!strategy”!slogan!was! disqualified!because!it!used!an!image!of!a!beer!pong![drinking!game]!on!the!banner.)!

! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 49#

4.2.3! MSVU!Crew! ! The!MSVU!Crew!has!been!in!place!at!Mount!St.!Vincent!since!the!late!1990s!when!the!Mount! became!coDed.!A!peer!to!peer!alcohol!awareness!initiative,!the!MSVU!Crew!“help!their!friends! stay!safe!while!having!a!good!time”.!The!initiative!recruits!student!volunteers!from!among! resident!assistants;!training!and!supervision!are!provided!jointly!by!the!Mount’s!health!centre! director!and!housing!coordinator.!Crew!members!receive!basic!alcohol!education!and! intervention!training!including!recognizing!the!signs!of!alcohol!poisoning!and!the!‘Bacchus! maneuver’.!Members!of!the!student!union!also!receive!this!training.! ! !If!in!any!doubt!of!a!student’s!condition,!students!are!instructed!to!call!security!or!don!who!in! turn!call!911;!they!are!told!to!never!leave!a!student!alone.!Once!certified,!they!receive!a!bracelet! identifying!them!as!a!MSVU!Crew!member.!They!also!carry!a!businessDsize!card!with!the! student’s!name!and!photo!on!one!side!and!the!signs!of! overconsumption!on!the!other.!! Hit#them#in#the# ! Pocketbook:# If!Residence!Life!Staff,!Health!Services!or!Security!determine!an! inebriated!student!requires!some!one!to!sit!with!them,!a!Crew! At!Mt.!St.!Vincent,! member!is!brought!in!until!all!danger!has!passed.!The!crew! students!got!tired!of! member!is!paid!at!a!rate!of!$12!an!hour!(2013D14!academic! putting!up!with!their! year)!for!a!minimum!of!four!hours.! dorm!mates’!vomit;!and! ! felt!there!needed!to!be! If!an!inebriated!student!vomits!and!it!must!be!cleaned!by!a! consequences.!Their! crew!member!or!member!of!the!Residence!Life!Staff,!a!clean! attitude!was:!‘If!you! up!charge!of!$30!per!incident!is!levied.!The!inebriated!student! have!enough!to!drink!to! is!responsible!for!paying!all!charges,!a!decision!taken!by!Crew! the!extent!you!get!sick,! members!and!supported!by!university!staff.! then!you!have!enough!$! ! to!pay!for!the! Paying!the!fee!is!nonDnegotiable.!If!not!paid!within!two!weeks! consequences.”! of!the!event,!an!additional!charge!of!$5/week!will!accumulate! Recidivism!has!been!very! until!the!fee!is!paid.!The!charge!is!also!added!to!the!student’s! infrequent!with!less!than! account!with!Financial!Services!and!marks!will!not!be!released! two!incidents!in!the!run! until!it!is!paid.!! of!a!year.! !

! 4.2.4! University!of!Saskatchewan!

What’s#Your#Cap?#

“What’s&Your&Cap?”&is!a!studentDrun,!research!based!initiative!out!of!the!University!of! Saskatchewan!that!aims!to!raise!awareness!and!knowledge!of!the!risks!involved!with!overD consumption!of!alcohol!and!promote!a!culture!of!moderation!on!campus.! ! The!campaign,!informed!by!and!tailored!specific!to!the!drinking!culture!on!the!University!of! Saskatchewan!was!rolled!out!in!September!201221!during!orientation.!Campaign!elements! included:! ! 50#

• Setting!up!at!the!info!fair!with!free!swag!and!mocktails,!flavoured!like!pina!colada!and! margarita.!The!intent!was!to!show!that!mocktails!taste!great!and!offer!a!clever!way!of! making!it!look!like!you’re!drinking!(in!case!you’re!worried!about!fitting!in,!are!choosing! not!to!drink!or!don’t!drink!at!all).!! • Approaching!students!when!picking!up!their!student!planner!and!asking!them!their! thoughts!on!risky!drinking...and!handing!out!more!swag.! !

! ! Other!events!over!the!year!included:!

• Setting!up!a!booth!on!the!day!of!Halloween!to!give!out!mocktails,!swag!and!ideas!on! alternatives!to!going!out!and!getting!drunk!on!Halloween;! • Setting!up!booths!in!January,!February!and!March!reminding!students!to!keep!2013! healthy!and!reminding!them!of!their!‘cap’!as!they!enter!the!New!Year,!and!celebrate! Valentine’s!Day!and!spring!break.!

One#of#the#findings#from#the#What’s#Your#Cap?#initiative#is#that#students# overRestimate#the#amount#of#alcohol#consumed#by#their#fellow#students.#

“They!found!out!that!most!students!have!about!four!drinks!when!they!go!out.! But!(some!students)!believe!that!students!are!having!eight,!so!they’ll!try!to! reach!that!perceived!norm.”!

!–!Research&assistant&with&What’s&Your&Cap?!

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