Ann Dowsett-Johnston, journalist and author of Drink: The Intimate Relationship Between Women and Alcohol, says that there are three main factors that influence how people drink: marketing, pricing and accessibility

Ann Dowsett-Johnston is an award-winning Canadian writer and editor and a seasoned public speaker on issues related to education and alcohol policy. She’s the author of Drink: The Intimate Relationship between Women and Alcohol.

Ann attended the Issues of Substance 2017  conference in Calgary as a speaker and participant, and as moderator of the closing keynote panel, titled “Happy Hour: Promoting a Culture of Moderation.”

An increasing number of women are having one too many glasses of wine after a busy day at the office, says author and recovering alcoholic Ann Dowsett Johnston. Johnston wrote the book, Drink: The Intimate Relationship between Women and Alcohol, after she found herself “medicating workaholism with alcoholism.” She discovered the intimate relationship was cultivated by the dangerous mix of the alcohol industry and tough expectations for women. “Skinny-girl cocktails, girls-night-out wine, mommy-juice wine — the alcohol industry is very clever and has marketed it to us well,” said Johnston. [source: CBC]

We speak with Ann Dowsett-Johnston.

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About Ann Dowsett-Johnston

Winner of five National Magazine Awards, a Southam Fellowship and the Atkinson Fellowship in Public Policy, Ann Dowsett-Johnston is a gifted author and public speaker.

A respected advocate in public policy matters, she has a distinguished track record in shaping a broad variety of dynamic publications. As well, she is co-founder and co-chair of the National Roundtable on Girls, Women and Alcohol, a pan-Canadian advocacy group launched in 2013.

As a journalist, her most recent work was as the Atkinson Fellow in Public Policy. She wrote a 14-part series on Women and Alcohol, appearing in The Toronto Star.

At Maclean’s, she was best known for pioneering the magazine’s system of ranking Canadian universities, overseeing the bestselling annual Maclean’s Guide to Canadian Universities and the Maclean’s University Graduate Survey. As a columnist, feature writer and speaker, she developed a strong leadership voice on educational policy and re-investment. In 2006, she became vice-principal of McGill University, in charge of development, alumni relations and strategic communication.

As well, Ann has written on a wide variety of subjects, from the arts to mental health. Her personal writing was anthologized in Dropped Threads II: More of What We Aren’t Told.

Ann grew up in northern Ontario, rural South Africa and Toronto. A graduate of Queen’s University, she lives in Toronto.

Issues of Substance 2017: Addiction Matters

Issues of Substance (IOS) is Canada’s only national conference that brings together addiction workers, healthcare professionals, researchers, policy makers and knowledge brokers from across the country. The premier learning event provides an unparalleled opportunity to share new developments and best practices, and to get practical training related to prevention, harm reduction, treatment and recovery. IOS is also a forum for showcasing new research and knowledge mobilization efforts in the addiction field. The theme for IOS 2017, held November 13-15, 2017 in Calgary (Alberta), was “Addiction Matters.​” The annual conference is hosted by the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction (CCSA).

About CCSA

The Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction was created by Parliament to provide national leadership to address substance use in Canada. A trusted counsel, CCSA provides national guidance to decision makers by harnessing the power of research, curating knowledge and bringing together diverse perspectives.

CCSA Vision: a healthier Canadian society where evidence transforms approaches to substance use.
CCSA Mission: to address issues of substance use in Canada by providing national leadership and harnessing the power of evidence to generate coordinated action.

​​​​Together with its partners, CCSA is working to improve the health and safety of Canadians: “We will achieve this goal by nurturing a knowledge exchange environment where research guides policy and evidence-informed actions enhance effectiveness in the field.”