“Buck a Beer”
“3% reduction of tax on beer”
“Extended hours to purchase and serve alcohol”
“Pending: alcohol sold at convenience store”

I live in Grey County, specifically in Georgian Bluffs.
I am sharing this picture because it shows the level of drinking and driving that is happening on our roads . I picked up those cans and bottles on my walks with my dog on less than 5 kilometres of road near my home. I have neighbours who have done the same on their small stretches of roads. I am really concerned that the changes to making alcohol cheaper and more accessible are not compatible with what is happening in Grey Bruce. Here is some important information:

Bruce Peninsula, Grey County OPP see 50% jump since start of 2019 compared to same period last year.
Police say that is a 50 per cent increase in the amount of impaired driving charges issued over the same time period -- from Jan. 1 to April 11 -- in 2018.

In Grey and Bruce counties, emergency room visits related to substance use jumped 65% between 2002 and 2015. Alcohol was involved in the majority of cases, followed by opioid use.

Public Health Ontario
In Grey Bruce 31.4 % report rate of exceeding low-risk drinking guideline for chronic disease- this is the highest rate in the provence, the provincial average was 20.6%

I feel that the safety of residents should take precedence over cheap and accessible alcohol. It may be true that:

Tougher impaired driving laws came into effect in Canada late last year, which allow police to request breath samples from any driver they stop without requiring a reasonable suspicion that the driver is impaired.

That is after the fact. Cheaper and more accessible alcohol should not trump safety. Probably 75% or more of the children in Grey Bruce travel on school buses daily. My can/bottle collection started when I saw a driver throw out his beer can before nine in the morning. These impaired drivers share the road with all of us. Why in good conscience would you want to support legislative changes that would make it easier for them to get alcohol.

Ann Schneider
Georgian Bluffs