Board of Health Meeting Summary
Written by admin, May 14, 2012
May 9, 2012 – Day in the Life – Tobacco Enforcement Officer Ingrid Cathcart presented an overview of her role as the community’s only Tobacco Enforcement Officer. Since starting at the Public Health in 1994, she has laid thousands of charges under the Tobacco Control Act, now referred to as the Smoke Free Ontario legislation. She routinely visits retailers, workplaces, schools and other public venues to ensure legal regulations are being followed regarding the sale and marketing of tobacco products. Ms. Cathcart is also involved in enforcing the sales and supply of contraband tobacco and working with tenants and property owners of multi-dwelling units to reduce exposure to second-hand smoke. As part of the final phase of Peterborough’s smoke-free spaces bylaw, Ms. Cathcart noted that no-smoking signs are now being installed on all school properties and city parks.
Q1 2012 Program Report
Larry Stinson, Director of Public Health Programs, gave his report of Public Health activities for the first quarter of 2012. While the Public Health is on track for full compliance with Ontario Public Health Standards in most areas, partial compliance is expected in some programs due to limited funding resources. It is hoped that one-time funding requests to the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care will be approved to improve compliance in these areas.
Q1 2012 Financial Report
Brent Woodford, Director of Corporate Services, presented Public Health’s financial report for the first quarter of 2012. Overall Public Health is 4% under budget and most programs continue to track closely to projections.
Food Security Update
Public Health Nutritionist Susan Hubay and the YWCA’s Joëlle Favreau presented the latest developments on improving food security in our community. Food security is defined as ensuring people have access to nutritious, safe, personally and culturally
appropriate food. In addition to a number of Public Health programs such as Collective Kitchens and Come Cook With Us, staff are actively involved with the Community Food Network that brings together a wide range of partners, including those from the education, agricultural, health and community agency sectors. This group has developed the Food in Peterborough website that helps residents access food depending on their level of need and provides food mapping for each city neighbourhood so people can easily locate where food resources are, such as school breakfast programs, grocery stores, community gardens, etc. Ms. Hubay noted that food needs were considered for the first time as part of the 2011 City of Peterborough’s official plan process. Ms. Favreau announced that the YWCA recently received a two-year grant from the Trillium Foundation to initiate planning for the Kawartha Community Food Hub which seeks to build community connections and reduce isolation from poverty through food sharing opportunities. The long-term goal is to create Community Food Hubs in all townships and First Nations where residents gather to grow, cook, and enjoy food together, linking to local food producers wherever possible.
2009 Youth Survey – Sexual and Reproductive Health Program
Public Health Nurse Ruth Walker provided an overview of this survey conducted by Public Health in 2009 to understand where local youth acquire sexual health information, where they want to get it, and what their current level of knowledge is relating to certain aspects of healthy sexuality and preconception health. Some of the more interesting findings showed STI testing increased as youth got older, however condom use declined. It was also clear that youth go to other youth for information and when they have a personal problem or trouble with other youth. This information has been used to guide project development in both the sexual and reproductive health programs.
Staff Report: Cycling Infrastructure in Peterborough
The board reviewed a report prepared by Physical Activity program staff about the status of local First Nations and the City and County of Peterborough’s cycling infrastructure. The health benefits to more and safer cycling are manifold including increasing residents’ physical activity levels to reduce chronic disease and improving local air quality. A number of community groups have emerged to advocate for better active transportation networks such as the Active and Safe Routes to School Committee (ASRTS), the Active and Safe Community Routes Committee (ASCR), the Peterborough Community Cycling Hub (B!KE), the Peterborough Bicycling Advisory Committee and Peterborough Public Health’s Built Environment Working Group. Opportunities for improvement include more cycling lanes, more lane maintenance, and accommodating bikes on public transit systems. Councillor Lesley Parnell also noted city staff are also looking at bylaw amendments to encourage longboard and skateboard use on city bike lanes.
Staff Report: Supplemental Budgets
The board approved one-time funding requests to the Ministry of Children and Youth Services (MCYS) and Ministry of Health and Long Term Care (MOHLTC) as follows:
$41,684 from the MCYS for the Healthy Babies, Healthy Children program Supplemental 2012 budget amounts funded 100% by the MOHLTC as follows:
o Enhanced Food Safety – $25,000
o Enhanced Safe Water – $15,500
o Needle Exchange Program Initiative – $21,121
o Infection Prevention and Control Week – $8,000
o Sexually Transmitted Infections Week – $7,000
o World Tuberculosis Day – $2,000
Risk Communications
Communications Supervisor Brittany Cadence presented an overview of risk communications as it applies to public health. Risk was defined as “hazard plus outrage” to emphasize the importance of accounting for the emotional response to risk perception. She noted there is no statistical correlation between the degree of harm posed by a hazard and the degree to which people get upset about it. Precautionary advocacy is used to communicate risks that are low outrage and high hazard. This involves developing messages using persuasion theory to increase audiences’ need for information that will lead to healthy behaviour changes. For risks that are high outrage and low hazard, outrage management is the preferred strategy which is achieved by staking out the middle ground and earning credibility by validating opponents’ belief in their arguments so they are more inclined to listen to alternative viewpoints. In situations when both outrage and hazard are high, crisis communications is the best strategy to use to help audiences bear the uncertainty of the event and to provide measured reassurance.
Next Meeting: Wednesday, June 13, 2012 at 4:45 p.m. at Hiawatha First Nation in the Lower Hall, Administration Building, 123 Paudash Street.
Respectfully submitted,
Dr. Rosana Salvaterra
Medical Officer of Health
Deputy Mayor Andy Sharpe
Chair, Board of Health
Please contact Brittany Cadence, Communications Supervisor, with any questions at bcadence@peterboroughpublichealth.ca or
(705) 743-1000, ext. 391.