Bill 2 First Responder Protection

Bill 2                                                            2014

An Act to amend the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act, 1997 with respect to post-traumatic stress disorder

Her Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Ontario, enacts as follows:

   1.  The Workplace Safety and Insurance Act, 1997 is amended by adding the following sections:

Presumption re: emergency response workers, etc.

Definitions

   15.3  (1)  In this section,

“emergency response worker” means a firefighter, police officer or paramedic; (“intervenant d’urgence”)

“firefighter” has the same meaning as in subsection 1 (1) of the Fire Protection and Prevention Act, 1997; (“pompier”)

“paramedic” has the same meaning as in subsection 1 (1) of the Ambulance Act; (“auxiliaire médical”)

“police officer” has the same meaning as in section 2 of the Police Services Act; (“agent de police”)

“post-traumatic stress disorder” means an anxiety disorder that develops after exposure to a traumatic event or experience with symptoms that may include flashbacks, nightmares and intense feelings of fear or horror.  (“trouble de stress post-traumatique”)

Many other professionals are Not protected. Corrections, Youth Workers, Nurses, Social Workers, Family Workers and Personal Support Workers  to name just a few

Please contact Cheri DiNova

dinovoc-qp@ndp.on.ca

Historical Trauma Jo Solanto Video

WHAT IS HISTORICAL TRAUMA?

"Essentially, the devastating trauma of genocide, loss of culture, and forcible removal from family and communities are all unresolved and become a sort of ‘psychological baggage... continuously being acted out and recreated in contemporary Aboriginal culture’."  Social Justice Report, 2008, Australian Human Rights Commission Type 1 Trauma  Dr Jo Solanto

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Psychological trauma Psychological trauma represents an emotional state of discomfort and stress resulting from memories of an extraordinary, catastrophic experience which shattered the survivor’s sense of invulnerability to harm. "People subjected to prolonged, repeated trauma develop an insidious progressive form of post-traumatic stress disorder that invades and erodes the personality. While the victim of a single acute trauma may feel after the event that she is ‘not herself’, the victim of chronic trauma may feel herself changed irrevocably, or she may lose the sense that she has any self at all." Judith Herman "Trauma is qualitatively different from other negative life stressors as it fundamentally shifts perceptions of reality. Negative stressors: leave an individual feeling ‘put out’, inconvenienced and stressed. These experiences are eventually relieved with the resolution of the stressor. In contrast, trauma represents destruction of the basic organising principles by which we come to know self, others and the environment; traumas wound deeply in a way that challenges the meaning of life. Healing from the wounds of such an experience requires a restitution of order and meaning in one’s life.[27] Gregory Phillips talks about three areas of trauma experienced by Indigenous peoples: Situational trauma - trauma that occurs as a result of a specific or discrete event, for example from a car accident, murder or being taken away. Cumulative trauma - it is subtle and the feelings build over time, for example racism. Inter-generational trauma – if trauma is not dealt with adequately in one generation, it often gets passed down unwittingly in our behaviours and in our thought systems... For example, if you want to heal children and youth, you have to heal yourself as well to break the cycle.[28] Importantly he notes that for Indigenous peoples who have experienced trauma as a result of colonisation, dispossession and dislocation, as well as the trauma of on-going racism, family violence and other events, often all three forms of trauma are applicable.[29]... Research has shown that the impacts of trauma are even more pronounced when the trauma has been deliberately inflicted rather than a result of natural circumstances... deliberately inflicted trauma creates victimisation as well as all the associated emotional, psychological, cultural and spiritual harm. Deliberately inflicted trauma is much harder to recover from as it undermines the cohesion and strengths of individuals and communities." Social Justice Report, 2008 Dr. Joe Solanto, from Canada, discusses different types of trauma, as well as the nature of inter-generational, or historical, trauma. Part 3 can be found here.

Historical or intergenerational trauma "Individual trauma reverberates across communities but also across the generations. The concept of historic trauma was initially developed in the 1980s by First Nations and Aboriginal peoples in Canada to explain the seeming unending cycle of trauma and despair in their communities. Essentially, the devastating trauma of genocide, loss of culture, and forcible removal from family and communities are all unresolved and become a sort of ‘psychological baggage... continuously being acted out and recreated in contemporary Aboriginal culture’.[31] In Australia, Indigenous researchers have also demonstrated the connections between the historical experiences of colonisation and the forcible removal of children to the disadvantage of today’s Indigenous peoples and communities. Professor Judy Atkinson has worked on the intergenerational and transgenerational transmission of trauma arguing that many of the problems in Indigenous communities, be it alcohol abuse, mental health problems, family violence or criminal behaviour, are symptomatic of the effects of this unresolved trauma reaching into the present day.[32] Gregory Phillips also speaks of trauma that is handed down spiritually. Using Canadian elder, Vera Martin’s, reference to it as ‘blood memory’, he explains: ‘It is a collective memory of what has happened and what has not happened’.[33] This unresolved trauma is not limited to the forcible removal of children from their families. Trauma can occur in response to exposure to family violence, sexual assault, child abuse and neglect, substance misuse and other forms of experience that can harm an individual’s sense of self and wellbeing. These traumas also find their way to influence subsequent generations to come. Professor Helen Milroy, an Indigenous psychiatrist specialising in child psychiatry, describes how trauma flows through to Indigenous children: The transgenerational effects of trauma occur via a variety of mechanisms including the impact of attachment relationship with care givers; the impact on parenting and family functioning; the association with parental physical and mental illness; disconnection and alienation from the extended family, culture and society.  These effects are exacerbated by exposure to continuing high levels of stress and trauma including multiple bereavements and other losses, the process of vicarious traumatisation where children witness the on-going effects of the original trauma which a parent or care giver has experienced.  Even where children are protected from the traumatic stories of their ancestors, the effects of past traumas still impact on children in the form of ill health, family dysfunction, community violence, psychological morbidity and early mortality.[34]... ... the transgenerational impacts of trauma also challenges us to shift our thinking on the distinctions drawn between perpetrators and victims as we understand how offenders are often victims of trauma or transgenerational trauma themselves... ... Professor Judy Atkinson argues that trauma becomes expressed as anger, violence and criminal behaviour, where ‘rage turns inwards, but cascades down the generations, growing more complex over time’.[39]  Anger, hopelessness, worthlessness and lack of genuine opportunities and disconnection run like a common thread through the experiences of both victims and perpetrators of violence." Social Justice Report, 2008 > Development of Historical Trauma and its Impact

ParticipACTION's Kelly Murumets explains their partnership with Coca Cola

ParticipACTION's Kelly Murumets explains their partnership with Coca Cola

ParticipACTION's Kelly Murumets accepting her Live Positively Award from Coca Cola's Nikos Koumettis

I've blogged about it many times before, but recently the Ottawa Citizen's Joanne Laucius decided to tackle the oxymoron that is the ParticipACTION/Coca-Cola partnership.

The deal Coca Cola made with ParticpACTION is worth $5,000,000 over 5 years. Hardly a huge amount of money to be partnered up with one of the most recognizable and well respected brands in Canada. In fact I'd venture that companies would have been lined up out the door trying to attach themselves to ParticipACTION's heritage brand coattails.

But apparently ParticipACTION was picky. They didn't want to partner with just anybody, they wanted to partner with Coca Cola. ParticipACTION's President and Coca Cola award recipient Kelly Murumets calls Coca Cola, "a responsible, effective partner". Never mind the fact that improving Coca-Cola's brand image will help to sell sugar sweetened beverages - a causal factor in childhood obesity. Never mind the fact that Coca-Cola and ParticipACTION's recent co-branded advertising campaign purposely misdirects people about calories. Coca-Cola knows what kids want (sugar-sweetened beverages?) and so they're the perfect partner?

How so Kelly?

"If we had partnered with an insurance company, we would not get kids' attention and get commitment to behaviour change"

Why not? Doesn't ParticipACTION have the brand awareness necessary to make advertising headway?

According to Laucius' article, ParticipACTION's own partnership strategy document spells out what's in it for Coke,

"an effective partnership will leverage and extend each partner's assets (and partnerships) will further your own mission, but will also offer a return on investment for your partner organization."

So while ParticipACTION is as unlikely to impact on childhood obesity rates this time around as last (during the original 30 year reign of ParticipACTION childhood obesity rates rose by nearly 300%), one thing they'll certainly be able to do. They'll be able to offer Coca-Cola a return on their investment.

Translation?

ParticipACTION will help Coca Cola sell more Coke.

Yoni Freedhoff at 5:30 am

Citation:

http://www.weightymatters.ca/2011/01/participactions-kelly-murmets-explains.html?m=1

(Not the Onion) Canadian Government Teaming Up with Donut Giant Tim Horton's To Fight Diabetes

Who better to team up with than a national doughnut chain to tackle the increasingly pressing issue of diabetes prevention among Canada's First Nations' youth?

The announcement, made by Health Minister Leonna Aglukkaq, details the launch of what they're calling, "Play for Prevention" which in turn no doubt will put the focus on exercise as the preventative medicine, and not of course on the fast food culture that permeates society as a whole. That's not to say that exercise can't help, but I'm fairly certain that in the history of public health interventions there has never been one that has been proven to have led to a long term significant and sustained increase in activity among teenagers (or anyone else for that matter).

It's a brilliant move for Tim Horton's of course. For the ridiculously low price of just over $72,000 Tim Horton's partnership with the Canadian government makes it far less likely that we will see such initiatives as the establishment of zoning laws that would prevent Tim Horton's franchises from setting up shop within a certain distance of schools, or hard hitting public health messaging focused on getting Canadians out of restaurants and fast food establishments as a whole. It will also undoubtedly be utilized in the fight against mandatory menu board calorie labeling as proof positive of Tim Horton's and the restaurant industry being "part of the solution".

And fellow Canadians get ready for many more such partnerships as the Harper government has decided that these partnerships are the cornerstone and future of quality public health interventions and has formally put out a request for many more of them.

[Hat tip to Twitter's Robert Ablenas for kicking my way.]

Yoni Freedhoff at 5:30 am

ParticipACTION partnership with Coke draws critics

A variety of Coca-Cola cans and bottles are displayed on a counter at a local store in West Bath, Maine, Monday, Aug. 8, 2011, in this photo illustration. (AP Photo/Pat Wellenbach)

CTVNews.ca Staff
Published Friday, June 22, 2012 3:18PM EDT
Last Updated Friday, June 22, 2012 3:23PM EDT

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One of Canada’s most famous fitness enthusiasts is speaking out against a partnership between ParticipACTION—the national non-profit organization that promotes healthy living and physical activity—and Coca-Cola.
The two partnered to create SOGO Active, a national physical activity program designed for youth.
The campaign asks young Canadians to pledge to complete a challenge involving physical activity online, and complete the challenge.
Hal Johnson, longtime host of ParticipACTION’s Body Break public service announcements, criticized the partnership in a tweet on Friday.
Reports indicate the deal between ParticipACTION and the world’s most popular soft drink manufacturer is worth $5 million over five years.
“I am disappointed that ParticipACTION has partnered with Coke, it doesn't fit no matter how much money they are getting,” read the tweet.

Related Stories

• Health board signals support for ban on supersized, sugary drinks in NYC
• NYC proposes ban on sale of oversized soft drinks
• Coca Cola plans $4 billion investment in China

And Johnson is not the only person critical of the pairing.
Ottawa University professor and obesity expert Yoni Freedhoff sounded off on the partnership on his blog, Weighty Matters.
Freedhoff slammed the way Coca-Cola was described by ParticipACTION President Kelly Murumet.
In the past, Murumet has called Coca-Cola “a responsible, effective partner.”
In the end, the partnership between the two will not improve the health of Canada’s youth, wrote Freedhoff.
Health Canada estimates that in the last 25 years, childhood obesity rates have nearly tripled. Studies have shown a link between the consumption of sugar-sweetened drinks and childhood obesity.
To help children maintain a healthy body weight, the Canada Food Guide recommends limiting the amount of sweetened drinks consumed by children.

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The Politics of Obesity: Our National Eating Disorder

Uploaded on Jan 31, 2008

(Visit: http://www.uctv.tv) Obesity has become an epidemic in the United States with one out of every five Americans facing this health crisis. In this presentation, Michael Pollan, Marion Nestle Joan Dye Gussow and Kelly Brownell discuss the politics of obesity. Series: "UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism presents" [3/2004] [Public Affairs] [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 8417]