The Prince Albert and Area Community Alcohol Strategy Steering Committee (CASSC) has launched a new online survey to help determine the organization’s direction for the next few years.
CASSC coordinator Karen Anthony-Burns said they created the organization to highlight the harm caused by excessive alcohol consumption, and get Prince Albert trending in the right direction by the end of 2019. With 2021 well under way, Anthony-Burns said it’s time to evaluate the progress they’ve made, and identify any areas that aren’t being addressed.
“I know there’s been some talk that the sales have been up since COVID hit, so it will be interesting to see what people’s responses are,” Anthony-Burns said on Wednesday.
“Our whole (goal) is to have a healthier community and a healthier relationship with alcohol. We’re hoping that our survey will give us that kind of information, and give us a focus of where to go and where to focus our efforts in the future,” she added.
The survey is open until the end of April to all residents who live within 40 km of Prince Albert. Anthony-Burns said they haven’t been able to get out in the community much, but they’re doing what they can to reach local residents online.
The organization has set up a draw to give away five $100 grocery vouchers to residents who complete the survey. Anthony-Burns said they’re hoping that will help boost participation.
“Sometimes people are a little reluctant to take the time,” she explained. “I know everyone is busy. It should only take about 10 minutes to complete the survey, and we’re really hoping that prize incentive encourages more people to respond.”
If all goes well, Anthony-Burns said they’ll be able to look through the data and start updating their plans by next fall.
To access the CASSC survey, visit https://survey.sogosurvey.com/r/W2DBkX. The survey is confidential and anonymous.
The Prince Albert and Area Community Alcohol Strategy Steering Committee developed out of a participative planning process that began in 2014. It involved 120 individuals who identified strategic directions to guide plans for an alcohol strategy over a five-year period.
The group held additional consultation sessions in 2016, with information from those sessions added to the alcohol strategy.
