What is an Alcohol Education Committee?

What is an Alcohol Education Committee?

An alcohol education committee (AEC) is a group of locally elected members, who control the import of alcohol into their community, provide education around responsible alcohol use, and may also organize community services and programs. The role of the AEC is to help reduce alcohol-related harms to the community while providing a positive influence through education and awareness.

How does an AEC help the community?

As the name of the committee suggests, the AEC can be responsible for teaching the community about responsible alcohol use and how to reduce harms through:

• Organizing activities and events to educate community members about responsible alcohol use and the harms of alcohol abuse 
• Establishing counselling services for community members struggling with alcohol abuse 
• Promoting programs for prevention of alcohol abuse

The responsibilities of the AEC also extend to controlling the import and distribution of alcohol within a community. AEC’s may be tasked with: 

• Approving who is allowed to bring alcohol into a community and how much they can bring
• Approving who is allowed to have, keep or use alcohol in the community
• Approving who can buy alcohol
• Determining how alcohol is allowed to be transported

What are the benefits to becoming an AEC?

As educators and community leaders, AEC members have the opportunity to make a positive impact in the communities they serve. AEC members are able to help mitigate the challenges of alcohol abuse by furthering education around the responsible use of alcohol and more directly, by controlling the volume and distribution of alcohol in the community. An honourarium is provided to AEC members for their time.

How do I become an AEC member?

AEC members are elected to the committee annually. Elections for the AEC are usually held at the same time as municipal elections so people can vote once per year.

Candidates for AEC elections must be:

1. a Canadian citizen;
2. at least 18 years old on Election Day;
3. a resident of Nunavut for at least one year on Election Day;
4. a resident of the municipality in which they are declaring their candidacy;

Candidates for AEC elections cannot be:

1. an election officer; 
2. a judge of any court, other than a citizenship court; 
3. a person disqualified for psychiatric reasons; 
4. a person confined to a penal or correctional institution; 
5. a person who has committed an election offence anywhere in Canada within the last 5 years; 
6. a member of the House of Commons or the Senate or a member of the legislature.

Anyone who would like to declare their candidacy may do so with their local Returning Officer. For additional information on joining the AEC committee contact Kenny Bell at (867) 975-6816.
 

What education support resources are available for AEC members?

Let’s Be Aware offers learning modules and support materials for AEC members to help prepare them to work in their communities and to support them in the development of education programs. In-person training is also available, our next session will be in Rankin Inlet, November 2019. Visit our information sessions page to find learning modules and other resources.