New committee will implement Rowan's Law

_ (press release) _ Ontario is taking action to reduce concussions experienced by children and youth in organized sports and in school settings, by establishing the Rowan’s Law Advisory Committee.

The committee is named after Rowan Stringer, a 17-year-old who passed away after sustaining a head injury while playing rugby, and will support the government’s action on detection, prevention and treatment of head injuries. It is chaired by Dr. Dan Cass, Vice President, Medical at St. Joseph’s Health Centre in Toronto and comprised of parents, medical experts, researchers and sport leaders.

As part of its work, the committee will focus on how parents, coaches, officials and the medical community can work together to increase safe participation in sport. It will also review the jury recommendations made in the inquest of the death of Rowan Stringer and best practices from other jurisdictions, and advise on pragmatic, effective ways to implement the jury’s recommendations.

The committee will submit its recommendations to the government by September 2017.

Quick Facts






  * 
 Ontario became the first jurisdiction in Canada to address concussions through legislation when it passed the Rowan’s Law Advisory Committee Act, 2016 (Bill 149) on June 9, 2016. The legislation acts on recommendations made by the Coroner’s Jury following an inquest into the death of Rowan Stringer.

  * 
 In May 2013, Ontario created a
 [
  web portal
 ](http://www.health.gov.on.ca/en/public/programs/concussions/)
 , providing information about the prevention, identification and treatment of concussions for parents, educators, athletes, coaches and health care providers.

Additional Resources






  * 
 [
  Rowan’s Law Advisory Committee Participants
 ](http://news.ontario.ca/mtc/en/2016/10/rowans-law-advisory-committee-participants.html)

  * 
 [
  Ontario’s concussions web portal
 ](http://www.health.gov.on.ca/en/public/programs/concussions/)