An Innovative, multi-media campaign aimed at raising awareness about the dangers of drinking to excess is causing quite a stir in Liverpool.
Garry D’Arcy from CIC Liverpool Addiction Services is project manager for Positive Communities, a citywide partnership of agencies committed to public health. He and his colleagues have come up with an exciting and fun way to deliver information on “sensible drinking” to the community at Christmas. As part of the citywide Pssst campaign, funded by the Neighbourhood Renewal Fund, they have installed four computer kiosks in local schools and in the community. You don’t have to be a computer whizzkid to access the kiosks – they are smart screens, which means you simply touch the screens. The kiosks have interactive quizzes and video games aimed at all ages. For example, one game is set in a pub. By giving the guy at the bar pint after pint, you watch him get more and more drunk and learn the effect each pint has on him. You then are faced with the dilemma of getting him home safely. Another game is called beer goggles – showing how alcohol can cloud your judgement about who is attractive to you. The calorie counter game is also proving popular. By spinning the wheel you can add up not only your alcohol intake but also learn how many calories there are in your favourite tipple. Garry explains: “At Christmas people tend to overdo it, so it’s a good time to get people to think about how they can drink sensibly without feeling lectured. We want to entertain people and get them to have fun.” The “sensible drinking” project has other activities and events planned for the community. There is a database of 180 organisations that are running “diversionary activities” for all age groups, which include family trips out, sports and arts and craft. Schools are playing their part in getting the healthy lifestyle message out to its pupils with the aid of a CD rom teaching pack. A parenting tool will be available to help families with children with drink problems to access appropriate help and support groups. For support groups there will be ongoing training and self help packs containing drink diaries, recipes for non-alcoholic cocktails, drink calorie counters and myth-busting postcards that provide facts in safe drinking. Garry reveals that Positive Communities are also in talks with the License Trade to explore opportunities for a Pubwatch scheme in North Liverpool in which pubs and the police would work together to ban troublemakers from bars. It seems that Positive Communities have thought of everything to ensure its community has a safe and healthy Christmas! |
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