15
Volume2 Issue7
|
N
ews and
E
vents
To learnmore
about this joint
effort, read
in
CDAEssentials
,
Vol. 2, Iss. 5,p. 9
CDA inAction
CDAhasbeencollaboratingwithnational
stakeholders—including theHeart andStroke
Foundation, CanadianMedical Association, and
Dietitiansof Canada—toadvocate for revisednutritional
labels. “CDA recognizes the impact of poor nutrition
onbothoral healthandoverall health,” says
CDApast-presidentDr. GaryMacDonald.
“That iswhywearecommitted to
partneringwithgovernment andother
healthorganizations, toempower
consumers so theycanmakehealthy
foodchoices.”
SWEETENEDBEVERAGES:
Modern-Day TrojanHorses
It all beganwhen theHeart andStroke
Foundation inPEI reachedout to theDAPEI,
explainsDr.Michael Connolly, ageneral
dentist inCharlottetown. “TheFoundation
asked for our assistance inaddressing the
sugarydrink consumption issueamong
children in theprovince.”
“Theprojectwas kickedoffwithanevening
presentation, almost likea roundtableof
stakeholders: people from thePEI Healthy
EatingAlliance, theHeart andStroke
Foundation, our provincial dental association,
theprovincial healthdepartment, andothers,”
Dr. Connolly says. “Itwas amazing to seehow
everythingfit likehand inglove, from the
thingswe’vebeennoticing inour offices to
the researchdoneby theFoundation—which
shows that there reallyhasbeenan increase
inchildren’s sugar intake.”
What started small quicklygrewbigger. The
presentation led to theDAPEI partnering
with theHeart andStrokeFoundation in its
TheDental Association of Prince Edward
Island (DAPEI) is tackling the problem of
sugary drink consumption among youth, with
the help of key provincial allies.
BeSugarSmart
awareness campaign,which
focusesoneducatingparents about the risks
associatedwith theconsumptionof sugar-
loadedbeverages. Aspart of thisoutreach
initiative, thedental association sent a letter to
all dentists in theprovinceencouraging them
to support theprogram, distributedover
1800postcards throughdental offices, and
publishedanarticle inPrinceEdward Island’s
newspaper
TheGuardian
duringNationalOral
HealthMonth inApril. “We’ve taken similar
actions for tobacco reduction, but never to
this extent,” saysDr. Connolly.
Coincidently, the
BeSugarSmart
campaign
startedas theDAPEI launched its FreeFirst
Visit initiative. “Manydentists in theprovince
committed tooffering freefirst dental visits to
Towatchan
interviewwith
Dr.Michael
Connollyon the
PEI sugar reduction
initiative, visit
