Éduc’alcool reviews its governance and moves away from Quebec’s alcoholic beverage sector

After facing some headwinds in recent years, Éduc’alcool—whose mission is to inform and educate Quebecers about healthy drinking habits—is making major changes to its governance and distancing itself from the alcoholic beverage industry.

“After more than three decades of working to promote responsible alcohol consumption in Quebec, Éduc’alcool is beginning a new chapter,” the non-profit organization wrote in a press release issued Wednesday.

Five members of the board of directors have completed their terms and are leaving Éduc’alcool, and six new recruits will replace them. “This is a major change in governance,” said board chair Sylvain Dupuis in an interview.

For him, it was essential to eliminate “the appearance of a conflict of interest,” since the five members leaving today came from the alcoholic beverage and bar industries. He specifies that the changes began to be implemented last year, when the organization amended its general bylaws and governance structure. The six new members have nothing to do with the bar or alcohol industry, Dupuis specifies.

He assures that there has never been a real conflict of interest, but he finds that appearances can sometimes be worse for an organization. “[The former board members] were there in a personal capacity to allow us to conduct an in-depth exercise to establish the skill profiles needed to properly fulfill the mission. Having been with these people for the past two years, there has never been a conflict of interest because otherwise, I would not have agreed to continue,” says the president.

Executive Director Geneviève Desautels also announced her departure on Wednesday from the executive management of Éduc’alcool.

The recruitment process to replace Desautels has already begun. If no one has been found for this role by July 4, the Chair of the Board of Directors, Sylvain Dupuis, will assume the interim role.

“I am proud of the progress we have made with a dedicated and passionate team. I leave with the conviction that the foundations are solid to continue the organization’s development and address contemporary challenges related to alcohol consumption,” Desautels said in a press release.

Dupuis has nothing but good things to say about Desautels and highly praises her communication skills. “She has an incredible presence,” he said, “and we will definitely miss her role as spokesperson.”

CAQ rejects 0.05

In 2024, the Société de l’assurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ) published a notice stating that imposing new penalties for driving alcohol levels exceeding 0.05 could save up to nine lives per year. Since then, numerous coroner’s reports have echoed the same sentiment. The Sûreté du Québec (SQ) also supports lowering the blood alcohol limit.

In Canada, only Quebec and Yukon still use a limit of 80 mg of alcohol per 100 ml of blood for drivers—the infamous 0.08. For now, the Coalition avenir Québec (CAQ) government refuses to lower the imposed limit.

For several years, Éduc’alcool has been opposed to the 0.05 limit. The organization has been called upon to comment on the issue before parliamentary committees at both the federal and provincial levels. In an interview, Dupuis seemed more nuanced and acknowledged that certain periods have been “a little difficult” for the non-profit organization.

“What we said was that 0.05 is good, but not in isolation. And that’s what the media tried to make us say.” Is it a yes or no to 0.05? Well, it’s a yes, but… It’s really a nuance in the language, and we’re saying that all spokespersons who will be speaking on this subject must take into account several other factors. “0.05 alone won’t do the job,” explains Dupuis.

He gives the example of roadblocks, where police officers stop drivers to check their driving ability. “It’s been mentioned that there aren’t enough roadblocks. So, beyond the fact that we implement a policy, this policy, if it’s isolated and there are no other elements surrounding this approach, it risks being a waste of time,” maintains the Chairman of the Board.

No more major advertising campaigns

Éduc’alcool has announced another major shift: it is abandoning large-scale mass advertising to focus on raising awareness among key audiences on the ground.

The organization targeted three groups in particular: post-secondary students, corporate businesses, and bars, owners, and restaurants.

“Everyone knows about Éduc’alcool, but people say, ‘We know it, but we’re less specifically interested in the campaign or through messages.” So, in a context of evolution, we realized that speaking to targeted groups had more impact than mass campaigns,” explains Dupuis.

Specifically, Éduc’alcool wants to talk with stakeholders in these sectors, who will then speak to consumers. For schools, for example, the organization wants to reach out to student services, event departments, and those who work with young people, so that they can integrate awareness messages and share information.

Éduc’alcool isn’t necessarily done with major advertising campaigns forever, maintains Dupuis, but the organization wants to work with the three target groups first, and then develop other approaches in the future.

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–This report by La Presse Canadienne was translated by CityNews