Survey results from a poll organized by the Community Alcohol Management Plan (CAMP) working group show a majority of Flin Flonners believe alcohol has negative impacts on the area.
The CAMP group has unveiled results from its recent community survey on alcohol abuse and safety. Working with the blessing of community leaders in Flin Flon, Creighton, Denare Beach and Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation, the group’s survey was made available this spring and finished in July.
Over 400 people took part in the group’s survey, split almost equally between adults and students, meant to uncover local knowledge and feelings about alcohol and issues relating to alcohol.
Of the adults polled, 82 per cent agreed that alcohol “has a negative impact on community”, along with 58 per cent of youth.
“Data showed that although many respondents felt like alcohol does not impact themselves or their families personally, it does impact the community as a whole and that safety should be an area for focus,” reads the CAMP report.
Eighty-two per cent of people agreed that underage drinking is a concern in Flin Flon, along with over half of people believing Flin Flon did not have enough alcohol-free community events. When asked if people were concerned about drinking and driving in the community, 92 per cent of people agreed.
Perhaps most telling was the answer from people surveyed about community safety – just over 50 per cent said they did not feel safe in the community, including 40 per cent of youth polled.
“Many respondents also stated that they felt like there are services missing in our community to assist people who are experiencing alcohol related harms, with some of those, including many of the youth surveyed, saying that they don’t always feel comfortable asking for help from the services that are available,” reads the report.
The next step for the CAMP working group is to discuss the findings of the survey further, then to take the results to local councils and out into the community.
“The hope is that in addition to the group members’ commitment, local councils and community members will be supportive of these steps and ideally become active participants in change,” reads the report.
