In response to strong demand from Ontario’s injury prevention practitioners, the Ontario Injury Prevention Resource Centre will host another two-day workshop of the Canadian Falls Prevention Curriculum, on Dec. 3-4, 2007, in Toronto at the SMARTRISK offices. This $200 workshop is offered free to Ontario public health staff.

If you are interested in attending a falls curriculum workshop outside of the Toronto area, sessions can be arranged in your region. Again, these are available at no cost to Ontario’s public health practitioners.

See the flyer for full details on the curriculum and how to sign up.

ThinkFirst Foundation and the Ministry of Health Promotion are teaming up under the Ontario Safe Sport Helmet Initiative to provide free sports helmets to Ontario community centres, recreation centres and non-profit youth-focused groups that offer sport or recreation programs targeting those in financial need. Applications are due by Oct. 19.

The Third Annual Symposium was held on Monday May 14, 2007, at York Region in Richmond Hill with 45 participants from 16 different organizations. The planning committee included representatives from York Region Health Services, Toronto Public Health, and the Ontario Injury Prevention Resource Centre.

Symposium Theme: A Multi-Faceted Approach to Falls Prevention

Evaluations reflected the day was a huge success.

Save the date for next year—June 10, 2008 in Brampton. Stay tuned for more information.

The Follow-up Newsletter from the Planning Committee highlights key points from the Symposium.

The early bird registration deadline for the 2007 Canadian Injury Prevention and Safety Promotion Conference has been extended to Sept. 28. The conference takes place from Nov. 11-13 in Toronto and includes a number of satellite events and working meetings before and after the conference.

The first study of road rage victimization among adolescents finds that one in 10 Ontario youths say they have been threatened with personal injury or damage to their vehicles and one in 20 were victims of vehicle damage or personal injury. That suggests adolescents are more commonly targets of road rage than adults.

People with acquired brain injury or spinal cord injury, and their family members/caregivers are invited to sign up for a free quarterly newsletter being launched by the Ontario Neurotrauma Foundation. NeuroMatters will contain information on research findings, the ONF and its work, and offer opportunities to shape research and learn more.

Southwest Injury Prevention Conference 2007 - Not by Accident Teachable Moments: Your Role in Preventing Injuries Oct. 2, 2007 at the Lamplighter Inn, London, Ont.

This conference is designed for the emergency service provider who works on the front line. The Not By Accident planning committee recognizes that police officers, firefighters, paramedics and emergency room staff, through their first hand experiences with trauma, can be a strong and credible resource for injury prevention. This conference is designed for those ‘working in the trenches’, to help them recognize their role in injury prevention and to take advantage of the “teachable moment”.

The goals of this year’s Not By Accident Conference are to: - Create opportunities to enhance knowledge and awareness of the injury epidemic - Enhance the perception of injury prevention priorities as a role for the Emergency Service Provider - Provide tools to identify and support local initiatives in their communities

See the registration form for more details.

Linda Yenssen will join the Ontario Injury Prevention and Resource Centre team at SMARTRISK as a Senior Program Coordinator on Tuesday September 4, 2007.

Linda served on the OIPRC Advisory Committee early in the development of the resource centre.  She has an extensive background in public health and has most recently worked for the Grey Bruce Health Unit in Walkerton. Within public health, Linda has worked in the field of injury prevention for 17 years.

As a university-trained registered nurse, Linda brings knowledge, skill and dedication. She is very familiar with the Ontario Health Promotion Resource System and brings many years of experience in partnership building, project planning, health promotion, project implementation and evaluation to this position.

The preliminary program for the Canadian Injury Prevention and Safety Promotion Conference is now available online, offering a wide variety of plenary and concurrent sessions, entertainment and satellite sessions. Early registration – with savings of $100 until Sept. 15 – is underway for the Nov. 11-13 conference to be held in Toronto.

Ontario’s Ministry of Health Promotion has launched an injury prevention strategy – the first of its kind in Ontario – to reduce the frequency, severity and impact of preventable injuries. The Aug. 8 launch included an announcement that the government will fund ThinkFirst Canada to provide free helmets for low-income children and youth.

Each day in Ontario, more than 65 people visit an emergency department and almost every day one person is hospitalized due to a tool-related injury. Injuries are most frequent in the summer. Learn more about tool-related injuries in July’s Ontario Injury Compass.

The Canadian Red Cross’s program to prevent violence and abuse, RespectED, has released two articles aimed at parents of children and teenagers. The articles deal with what to look for when assessing a summer camp and the risks teenagers face during the summer when they may be unsupervised more often.

Download the articles (in Microsoft Word format) below:

• Parents should assess camp safety before sending kids
• The “Dog Days” of Summer Can Also Bite

Although the number of Ontario children visiting emergency rooms with playground injuries has remained fairly steady over the last few years, substantially fewer children are arriving with head injuries, new research from the Canadian Institute for Health Information concludes. This might be due to injury prevention measures, including better playground design.

Algoma Public Health has released a detailed evaluation of its Creating Safer Homes Project. The project involved 69 households with children aged 0-6 years, who were part of the Healthy Babies Healthy Children long-term home visiting program. Families received home safety assessments and then had safety devices provided and installed for them, based on the assessment results.

We are seeking applications to join our dynamic team of injury prevention professionals for the full-time position of Senior Program Coordinator. Working within a team environment, the Senior Program Coordinator is responsible for day-to-day management of the OIPRC, including coordinating, implementing and evaluating services offered. The Senior Program Coordinator will educate and raise awareness within public health and the wider community about injury prevention issues including providing consulting support to public health and injury prevention practitioners and coordinating the dissemination of injury prevention information and resource materials.

Despite the introduction of booster seat legislation in several provinces, use among Canadian children aged 4-8 is still alarmingly low, new research suggests. Ontario kids were most often observed properly seated in boosters – yet even there, only a third of kids were correctly seated in the age-appropriate seats, researchers for AUTO21 concluded.

Health Canada is inviting comment from Canadians online until June 29, 2007, on how it can better contribute to enhancing the health of children and youth. This is a great opportunity for advocates for child and youth injury prevention to have their say.

The 130 or so delegates to the 2007 Ontario Injury Prevention Conference experienced the hospitality of northwestern Ontario for three days, walking away with gifts of beaded cloth bags hand-sewn by Aboriginal seamstresses and a raft of new injury prevention resources, contacts and information.

Health Canada is inviting comment on a potential ban on baby bath seats. At least 12 infants have drowned and another 25 nearly drowned in Canada since 1983, typically when the caregiver is out of the bathroom. No legislated safety requirements are in place for bath seats now.

Health Canada says it is currently considering two options:

• A total prohibition of all infant bath seats and bath rings, or
• A prohibition of bath seats and rings that do not meet the requirements of a referenced technical standard.

The Ontario government has passed a new law, toughening penalties for street racing and for repeat drinking drivers in the “warning range” of 0.05 to 0.08 blood-alcohol concentration. Those caught street racing can now have their licences suspended and cars impounded on the spot for seven days and face fines of up to $10,000.

Each year, about 16,000 people are charged with drinking and driving in Ontario, notes a Ministry of Transportation release announcing the changes. About one-quarter of the province’s annual road deaths are alcohol-related.

The Traffic Injury Research Foundation (TIRF) held its 44th Annual General Meeting on May 24, 2007 at the Bank of Montreal Building in Toronto, Ontario. Electronic copies of the presentations given at the AGM are now available. These presentations include:

• 44th Annual General Meeting Overview
• Marketing and Communications at TIRF
• Commercial Driver Licensing: What are current practices and how can they be improved?
• Impaired Driving: What are the perceptions of lawyers in Canada?
• Continuous Transdermal Alcohol Monitoring: What does the research conclude?
• Traffic Safety: Is anyone really concerned?

To view these presentations, see the TIRF website at: http://www.trafficinjuryresearch.com/whatNew/bulletinPDFs/AGM2007Presentations.pdf.

Register by midnight, Friday, May 11, to save on registration and hotel packages to the 2007 Ontario Injury Prevention Conference in Thunder Bay, Ont. Come experience first-rate keynote speakers, presenters and exhibitors who are industry-leading professionals in the health care sector.

The number of children and youth being hospitalized with pedestrian injuries has fallen by about 50% in the last decade, says a new injury hospitalization report from the Canadian Institute for Health Information. Older Canadians continue to suffer the greatest number of pedestrian injuries and the worst outcomes.

The data are from the 2006 National Trauma Registry Injury Hospitalizations Highlights Report. It provides an overview of patients hospitalized due to trauma in all acute care facilities in Canada for 2004-2005.

Safe Kids Canada has announced a new child passenger safety DVD for parents!

In April 2006, Safe Kids Canada and Hudson’s Bay Company (Hbc) launched Kids that Click, a program that educates parents on how to choose and use car seats, booster seats, and seat belts safely. In the first year of this program, Safe Kids Canada developed print resources that included an educational brochure on all stages of child passenger safety and one on booster seats and seat belts.

This year, Safe Kids Canada has produced a DVD, entitled Kids that Click – Keep Your Kids Safe on Every Ride, Tips for using car seats, booster seats, and seat belts safely, for this program. It will be available to parents and Safe Kids Canada partners beginning April 26, 2007. Safe Kids Canada will issue a press release to publicize the launch.

The program for the Ontario Injury Prevention Conference 2007 is now available. Please visit the conference website www.oipc.org to download a copy.

The deadline to submit an abstract for the Canadian Injury Prevention and Safety Promotion Conference has been extended to April 21, 2007. Please the CIPSPC website for more information.

PREVNet is holding its second annual anti-bullying conference on May 18, 2007, at McGill University, Montreal, Quebec. The theme for the conference is “Rise Up for Respectful Relationships!”. Please see the conference website for more information.

The OPHA 2007 Conference has issued a call for abstracts, with a deadline for submission of May 7, 2007. The theme of this year’s conference is Public Health:Who’s at risk? What’s at stake?. Abstracts can be submitted at the conference website, www.ophaconference.ca. See the Call for Abstracts flyer [PDF] for more details.

Please help us make the OIPRC website a better tool for you — take a few moments to answer a short survey about the site.

Ontario practitioners and community partners who work in falls prevention are invited to attend the Third Annual Provincial Falls Prevention and Policy Network Symposium in Richmond Hill, Ont., on May 14, 2007. The theme is A Multi-factorial Approach to Falls Prevention.

The June 3-5 conference in Thunder Bay, Ont., marks the first time the conference has been hosted in northern Ontario.

Conference streams include:

Life course – ages and stages

Cultures – what shapes who we are

Communities – where we live, work and play

Conditions – socio-economic and geographic

This conference aims to provide delegates with the latest and most innovative research, information and programs. We strive to promote prevention messages that resonate and injury prevention strategies that are tailored to meet the specific needs of diverse populations, living in assorted communities.

Register now

Don’t forget, registration for the Ontario Injury Prevention Conference 2007 is now open. Go to www.oipc.org and register now at the early bird rate and save!

Also, visit www.oipc.org for information on easy and affordable travel options to and from Thunder Bay.

We look forward to hearing from you!

Call For Abstracts

The Conference Program Committee invites you to submit abstracts for the 2007 Canadian Injury Prevention and Safety Promotion Conference. This national event is being co-hosted by Safe Communities Foundation, Safe Kids Canada, SMARTRISK and ThinkFirst Canada from November 11–13, 2007 at the Westin Harbour Castle Hotel in Toronto, Ontario.

The overall theme for the 2007 Conference is Evidence, Action, Innovation: Moving to End Injury, Violence and Suicide in Canada, with submissions incorporating the sub-themes of Evidence, Action and Innovation in relation to issue areas including: social support networks; education; physical environments; social environments; health services; culture; impact of colonialism; spirituality; role of traditional healers; income; social status; employment and working conditions; biology and genetic endowment; personal health practices and coping skills; gender; and, health across the lifespan.

For more information please download the following PDF file:
2007 National Conference - Call For Abstracts

Date: Friday May 4, 2007
Location: McMaster University,
Hamilton, Ontario

The Community Child Abuse Council (CCAC) is a volunteer-based, federally registered charitable organization with the mission to reduce the incidence and impact of child abuse and promote the safe and healthy development of children.

Established in 1976 as a local networking group, the CCAC is a leading expert in the field of child abuse and prevention, providing prevention education and treatment programs. This conference will provide an opportunity for professionals in this field to gain new information about leading edge research-based prevention programs that utilize best practice models within the field of child maltreatment services.

Objectives:
1. To develop an understanding of the challenges in child abuse prevention.

2. To understand the evidence and treatment of children and adolescents who have experienced sexual abuse.

3. To recognize early interventions for mothers with substance abuse issues.

4. To look at the various factors involved in youth aggression and violence and ways to address this.

5. To provide parent education to support the caregiver's role in ensuring child safety.

For more information contact:
Community Child Abuse Council
905-523-1020 or 1-800-470-2111
info@childabusecouncil.on.ca

Keynote Speaker:
Dr. Robert Conn
The SMARTRISK Approach to Social Marketing

Date: Tuesday April 17, 2007
Location: The Locks Restaurant, Merrickville ON
Time: 9:00am - 3:30pm

For more information and registration please email joanne.desormeaux@healthunit.org

Location: Merida, Mexico
Date: March 15-18, 2008

This Conference will give special attention to the processes of globalization and their implications for injuries and violence. The WHO is urging governments to address the two main themes of Violence and Traffic Accidents. The conference will also emphasize the global patterns in Technological and Epidemiological Transitions, proposing international collaboration as a fundamental strategy for the design and promotion of policies for injury prevention and safety promotion.

Now announcing the Second Call for Abstracts of the 9th World Conference on Injury Prevention and Safety Promotion. The members of the Scientific Committee are keenly interested in receiving new abstracts on Transport Safety, Violence, Intentional self-injuries, Occupational Safety, Unintentional injuries, Emergency response, Trauma care and Rehabilitation.
 
We remind you that the National Organizing Committee is awarding a number of scholarships for individuals from low and middle income countries working actively in the injury prevention and safety promotion field.
 
You can find the themes for the Conference, deadlines for the abstract submission, scholarship guidelines and the latest information at our Conference Webpage:
www.safety2008mx.info 

For additional information or further questions do not hesitate to contact the Conference Team: safety2008@insp.mx , we will be glad to assist you!
 
We are looking forward to seeing you soon in Mérida.

Registration for the Ontario Injury Prevention Conference 2007 is now open. Register now at the early bird rate and save! Join us at Thunder Bay’s Valhalla Inn, June 3-5, for an exciting conference program that will educate and entertain, including offering opportunities to explore local attractions and network.

OIPC is an annual event that promotes injury prevention initiatives, innovative research and programming. The conference objectives are multi-faceted: from awareness building and education, to information sharing and networking.

The theme of Preserving Our People: Strategies Designed for Life, stresses a focus on injury prevention across a variety of environments, injury issues and population demographics. The conference will feature sessions on both intentional and unintentional injury and highlight the social determinants of health.

This event promises to attract practitioners, researchers, emergency service providers, organizations and students from every corner of the province and beyond. The exciting conference program will include opportunities to explore Thunder Bay’s distinctive attractions and a chance to network while being entertained by local performers.

Registrations can be made online at http://oipc.org

SpankOut Day USA April 30th was initiated in 1998 to bring widespread attention to the need to end physical punishment of children and to promote effective, non-violent disciplinary practices. More than 500 events and programs have been held since that time. Agencies in several foreign countries have adopted the observance to educate parents and caregivers.

For more information of many of the events taking place on this day, please visit: http://www.stophitting.com/spankOut/2007SpankOutDayEvents.php

The 4th annual forum will focus on current and emerging issues related to alcohol consumption and implications for health and safety policies. The aim of this forum is to bring substance abuse prevention and chronic disease professionals together in an opportunity for networking and knowledge exchange. This year we will be discussing the link between alcohol and chronic disease and the practical programming that is currently available in relation to this relevant and timely topic.
This forum is free of charge and lunch with special dietary considerations will be provided for all participants.

Enjoy speakers such as:

• Norman Giesbrecht, Senior Scientist, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health

• Deb Keen, Director of Prevention Unit, Cancer Care Ontario

• Pam Benson, Manager, FOCUS Resource Centre

• Diane Buhler, Executive Director, Parent Action on Drugs

• Marianne Kobus-Matthews, Senior Health Promotion Consultant, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health

• Janet McAllister, Program Consultant, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health

To register, please visit:
http://www.apolnet.ca/resources/education/RegForm-Mar22Forum.html

The deadline to register is: Thursday, March 8, 2007. Space is limited and registration will close early if we reach capacity.

An Occupational Health and Safety Forum for the Health and Community Care Sector Presented in collaboration with Ontario Safety Association for Community and Healthcare, CSA presents a two day educational forum that provide attendees with essential knowledge, expertise and ideas around worker safety in the healthcare sector. The speaker faculty will provide updates on standards and regulations, case studies and strategic solutions to address the challenges facing this occupation.

Key issues to be discussed are: Implementing a sharps injury prevention program Respiratory protection and pandemic planning Implementing a health and safety management program Infection controls, measures and procedure Mitigating and managing risk Indentification and prevention of workplace violence

For more information please visit http://learningcentre.csa.ca

The Ontario Healthy Communities Coalition (OHCC) and The Health Communication Unit (THCU) have collaborated on the development of a proposal writing course which has been designed as a stand-alone, self-directed program, free of charge to all that have internet access. It can also be downloaded and printed.

The purpose of this online course is to help not for profit organizations plan and prepare winning proposals. Six modules will guide you through each step in the proposal development process:

 i. Developing (or Revisiting) Your Program Plan
ii. Seeking Funding
iii. Managing the Proposal Development Process
iv. Developing Your Proposal
v. Producing and Packaging Your Proposal
vi. Submitting and Following-up.

For more information please visit :
http://www.thcu.ca/ohcc-thcu-proposal-writing-course

Ottawa Congress Centre Ottawa, Canada April 2-4, 2007

This conference will aim to raise awareness about bullying and victimization behaviours and sharing best practices from leading experts. It will attempt to address critical gaps in service, identify special targeted groups, and highlight the critical involvement of youth. The conference will also consider mechanisms for exchanging expertise, knowledge, and effective strategies.

The program will include presentations from renowned international experts, hands on learning opportunities, youth engagement, live theatre, video presentations, plenary sessions and practical information. Participants from a broad cross section of constituencies will have the opportunity to consider a move towards a holistic, integrated community model of bullying prevention.

For more information on this conference please visit: www.iamsafe.ca

In the wake of the deaths of two children who were tobogganing, some people are calling for helmets to be made mandatory for tobogganers. Statistics on toboggan injuries from the Ontario Injury Compass, produced by the Ontario Injury Prevention Resource Centre at SMARTRISK, are quoted in the National Post’s story of Jan. 23, 2007.

A light-hearted series of posters highlights a deadly serious message in a new campaign launched by the Safe and Sober Awareness Committee of North Simcoe. The committee formally launched the campaign on Dec. 1, with the goal of reducing alcohol-related injuries and deaths on recreational vehicles in their popular tourist area.

The campaign features three key messages:

1. Drinking and driving recreational vehicles is against the law: know the laws.

2. Driving or riding recreational vehicles while impaired is just as serious and dangerous as driving a car while impaired: understand the consequences.

3. Impairment starts with the first drink.

For information, contact Velma Shewfelt at 721-7330, ext. 7527 or velma.shewfelt@smdhu.org

More than 3,900 Ontarians suffered major injuries during 2004-2005, according to a new Ontario Trauma Registry report. That’s an increase of 15% over the last five years. Close to half the major injuries were a result of car crashes and a third were linked to falls.

To order the Ontario Trauma Registry report, please visit the following site:

Canadian Institute of Health Information - Ontrario Trauma Registry report

The Ontario government has produced a one-hour Falls Prevention Seminar and Resource Kit, with input from a number of organizations. Available in English and French, seniors will be offered practical information and tools to help prevent falls, the government announced on Dec. 14.

The seminar will be made available to seniors across the province, said Jim Bradley, Minister Responsible for Seniors. Staff from public health units, Osteoporosis Canada and other organizations, will conduct the seminar.

To print or download the resource kit, please select the following link:
Falls Prevention Seminar & Resource Kit

It’s the start of a brand new year, when many Canadians get set to make their annual New Year’s resolutions: get fit, lose weight and stop smoking. These are all admirable goals that will help you to improve your health. But have you considered making a resolution to reduce your risk of injury throughout the year?

The Canadian Health Network takes a seasonal look at injury risks and the best ways to reduce your risks. Find out common injury risks in winter, spring, summer and fall and all year round, along with the best ways to lower the risks to yourself and family members

On December 18, 2006, the Canadian Public Health Association (CPHA) with funding from Canada’s Drug Strategy, Health Canada, launched drinkingfacts.ca, a new youth website to raise awareness about the harms associated with high-risk drinking. Drinkingfacts.ca is targeted to youth 14 to 18 years of age.

Drinkingfacts.ca is based on extensive research and conversations with young Canadians. Young people stated that they want factual information so they can make informed decisions about alcohol. Information is presented in a variety of formats, including quizzes, Q & A, Did you know? and an ‘Alcopedia’. Youth tell their personal stories in candid videos and written format. Drinkingfacts.ca will be of interest to youth, parents and educators.

Visit Drinkingfacts.ca and feel free to forward this message to your information networks.   Drinkingfacts.ca is designed to increase teens’ knowledge of alcohol-related risks so they will be better equipped to make decisions about drinking.

The first United Nations Global Road Safety Week will take place from April 23-29, 2007 and the focus will be on young road users, including young drivers, who are at high risk of injury and death. Globally, 1.2 million people are killed annually on the roads and another 50 million are injured. During Global Road Safety Week, youth delegates from over 120 countries, including Canada, will meet in Geneva for a World Youth Assembly on Road Safety where young people will discuss a declaration regarding the improvement of road safety among youth.

For more information please click on the following link:

Hooked on Road Safety

Safe Kids Week 2007: Drowning Prevention

May 28 - June 3, 2007

Safe Kids Week is an exciting national education campaign presented by Safe Kids Canada with sponsor support from Johnson & Johnson. Every year during Safe Kids Week, hundreds of community organizations across the country join Safe Kids Canada to focus attention on preventing injuries to children.

For more information please click below:

Safe Kids Week: Drowing Prevention Information