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A little bit of convenience for a whole lot of suffering: OPSEU LCBO workers

"Alcohol is not just another consumer product. It is a controlled substance, and for good reason." — Warren (Smokey) Thomas, OPSEU President

 Toronto (03 July 2015) — The union representing workers at the Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO) launched radio ads alerting the public to the dangers of expanding the sale of alcohol to grocery stores.

Listen to new public safety ads about the expansion of alcohol sales in grocery stores

Radio ad one:  Impaired

Radio ad two: Street Corner

“Alcohol is not just another consumer product,” Warren (Smokey) Thomas, President of the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU/NUPGE) said. “It is a controlled substance, and for good reason. Many of us enjoy alcohol in moderation, but the facts are that alcohol consumption is linked to a wide range of harms from injuries and trauma to disease and disability.”

Three facts the public needs to know about increased alcohol access

The ad campaign alerts Ontarians to three facts:

  • Alberta, where the sale of beer, wine and spirits is fully privatized, has more than three times the rate of police-reported impaired driving as Ontario.
  • There will be more places to buy alcohol than to get a “double double.”
  • LCBO employees refused service to more than 400,000 people last year, the majority for reasons of age.

Public discussion needed before proceeding with the largest expansion of liquor sales in Ontario history

“We hope these ads will start a conversation,” said President Thomas. “If the government’s plan goes through, this will be the largest expansion of liquor retailing in Ontario history.”

The union’s 30-second radio ads will air on selected stations in the Greater Toronto Area and in cottage country, along the Highway 400 and Highway 35/115 corridors. The ads will air in two-week blocks covering the three long weekends of the summer.

OPSEU/NUPGE represents 7,000 front-line workers at the LCBO.