Home > Laws/Policies > Policies >Municipal Alcohol Policies

Municipal alcohol policies (MAPs) offer communities one strategy for preventing problems related to alcohol service on municipally-owned property or municipally-sponsored events. MAPs can, for example, provide guidelines for when and where alcohol can be served, the number of staff required at public events, ticket sales, warning signs, insurance requirements and other aspects of safe event planning as outlined in Priorities 2000, a report outlining the developments in alcohol policy in Ontario from 1996 to 2000.

In this information pack, we have provided some background information on this topic, as well as framework for this policy response, sample policies and related resources.

See also the main section of Laws/Policies for federal and provincial legislation and policy-related links that also apply to municipally-run events.

Background Information
What is a MAP? Why do we need one? Q&A on MAPs; Research and Context papers

  • Reducing Problems Through Municipal Alcohol Policies: the Canadian experiment in Ontario. Gliksman, L., Douglas, R.R., Rylett, M., Narbonne-Fortin, C., Drugs: education, prevention, and policy. Vol. 2, No. 2, 1995
  • Promoting municipal alcohol policies: an evaluation of a campaign. Gliksman, L., Douglas, R.R., Thomson, M., Moffatt, K., Smythe, C., Caverson, R. Contemporary Drug Problems. Fall 1990, pp. 391-420

    • Recent News

  • 10-Jul-08: Expense account policy set to go before city council, Allison Hanes, National Post

    • Regulatory Framework
    links on liability and prosecution; a Policy Response from Homewood Health

    Who's on the MAP?

    links to an indexed list of Municipal Alcohol Policies in Ontario, Canada, and Internationally
  • See also Sample alcohol policies from campuses, community organizations, the workplace, and industry

    • Tips on developing your own MAP

    Bibliographies