A little bit of convenience for a whole lot of suffering: LCBO union

TORONTO, July 2, 2015 /CNW/ - The union representing workers at the Liquor Control Board of Ontario is launching radio ads tomorrow alerting the public to the dangers of expanding the sale of alcohol to grocery stores.

"Alcohol is not just another consumer product," OPSEU President Warren (Smokey) Thomas said. "It is a controlled substance, and for good reason. Many of us enjoy alcohol in moderation, but the facts are that alcohol consumption is linked to a wide range of harms from injuries and trauma to disease and disability."

The ad campaign alerts Ontarians to three facts:

1. Alberta, where the sale of beer, wine and spirits is fully privatized, has more than three times the rate of police-reported impaired driving as Ontario.
2. There will be more places to buy alcohol than to get a "double double."
3. LCBO employees refused service to more than 400,000 people last year, the majority for reasons of age.

"We hope these ads will start a conversation," said President Thomas. "If the government's plan goes through, this will be the largest expansion of liquor retailing in Ontario history."

The union's 30-second radio ads will air on selected stations in the Greater Toronto Area and in cottage country, along the Highway 400 and Highway 35/115 corridors. The ads will air in two-week blocks covering the three long weekends of the summer.

OPSEU represents 7,000 frontline workers at the LCBO.

SOURCE Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU)

Audio with caption: "OPSEU Impaired.mp3". Audio available at: http://stream1.newswire.ca/media/2015/07/02/20150702_C4961_AUDIO_EN_433290.mp3

Audio with caption: "OPSEU Street Corner.mp3". Audio available at: http://stream1.newswire.ca/media/2015/07/02/20150702_C4961_AUDIO_EN_433294.mp3

Warren (Smokey) Thomas: [phone]