The Grey Bruce Board of Health wants the province to continue to say NO to MMA.
The board has endorsed a letter from its counterparts in Middlesex-London urging the province to continue to refuse to sanction the sport of professional mixed martial arts.
MMA events in Ontario are technically against the law in that “prize fights” are banned unless they are officially sanctioned boxing matches.
But Ultimate Fighting Championship — the sport’s largest promotion company — recently established an office in Ontario.
UFC is lobbying the Ontario government to legalize professional mixed martial arts.
Health units across the province have been asked to support the resolution, which points out that previous stands have been taken against violence in other sports, such as hockey.
It also says sports should teach people how to resolve emotional conflict situations without violence.
Grey Bruce Medical Officer of Health Doctor Hazel Lynn says when violence is accepted in society — whether through sports or movies or video games — it desensitizes people to violence and to its harmful effects.
Lynn says violence becomes more prevalent in families and that invariably has a negative impact on children and their development.
