Gatineau, June 1st, 2007 – The Brain Injury Association of Canada (BIAC) is pleased to announce the launching of its first Brain Injury Awareness Month (BIAM) in June by promoting two initiatives to increase and advance awareness of brain injuries. Promoting its slogan: BE COOL, BE AWARE AND STOP BRAIN INJURIES, BIAC is being pro-active in order to reduce the spread of acquired brain injuries, an invisible epidemic which leaves devastating and lasting effects on many Canadian families and the economy.

The first initiative involves Dr. Hedy Fry, a Member of Parliament, who introduced a Private Member’s Bill, (Bill C-412) in the House of Commons. The Bill is intended to make an amendment to the Hazardous Products Act designating alpine skiing and snowboarding helmets as hazardous products if they do not conform to Canadian Standards Association (CSA) criteria. As well, the Prime Minister was asked to urgently amend the Hazardous Products Act through an Order in Council. Please read the Project Status Report (pdf-156kb).

The second initiative pertains to the creation of a Bursary Program that is aimed at encouraging students living with acquired brain injuries to pursue educational opportunities in English and French post secondary schools. The money from the Bursary Program will be used for tuition/registration fees, books and other costs related to completing education and/or training programs. Eligibility criteria will be revealed at a later time.

Brain injury is the number one killer and disabler of Canadians under the age of 45. Over 50,000 Canadians sustain a brain injury annually. Falls and Motor vehicle collision are the main causes of traumatic brain injury. Signs and symptoms can include poor balance and coordination, slow or slurred speech, poor concentration, personality changes, memory loss, tiredness etc.

Brain injury exacts a toll of billions of dollars a year through the cost of acute care and hospital services, extensive period of rehabilitation and the loss of productivity and employment over the normal life span of the injured person, often a young adult. In the current struggle to contain rising health care costs and to ensure the sustainability of Canada’s public health care system, policy makers can no longer afford to ignore injury prevention as one of the most promising means to significantly reduce hospitalizations and related health care costs. The fact is that traumatic brain injuries are PREDICTABLE and usually PREVENTABLE.

BIAC’s mission is to improve the quality of life for all Canadians affected by acquired brain injury. Also, BIAC is dedicated to promoting acquired brain injury prevention and to facilitate post trauma research, education and advocacy in partnership with national, provincial/territorial and regional associations and other stakeholders.

Contacts:
Helmet Project: Richard Kinar, (604) 922-8197, richard_kinar@yahoo.ca
BIAM & Bursary Program: Yvan Teasdale, Past President, (819) 685-9023, yjk.teasdale@sympatico.ca