Home > Final phase of National Alcohol Awareness Campaign launched.

Sinclair, Hamish (2004) Final phase of National Alcohol Awareness Campaign launched. Drugnet Ireland, Issue 10, March 2004, pp. 6-7.

[img]
Preview
PDF (Drugnet Ireland, issue 10) - Published Version
287kB

In October 2003 the Minister for Health and Children, Micheál Martin TD, launched the fourth and final phase of the National Alcohol Awareness Campaign. This final phase is aimed principally at women and sees the publication of an information booklet entitled The Little Book of Women and Alcohol. The booklet targets women between the ages of 18 and 35 years and aims to increase their understanding of the effects alcohol has on their bodies, and to clear up any misunderstanding they may have about alcohol and excessive drinking. Other initiatives include A Guide to Rethinking Your Drinking, a booklet intended as a resource for the general public and also for health professionals who may wish to stimulate discussion with their clients on drinking habits and on how to cut down.

The National Alcohol Awareness Campaign has been run by the Health Promotion Unit of the Department of Health and Children for the past three years. At the launch of the final phase Minister Martin said ‘The objective of the campaign was and still is to increase the public’s awareness of the problem and generate debate around the issue and the campaign has been hugely successful in achieving this. Alcohol is now uppermost on the public health agenda and I am anxious that it stays there until a reduction in alcohol consumption has been achieved.’

The first phase of the campaign was launched in February 2001 and used the theme ‘Less is More – It’s Your Choice’. Aimed at young people, the message conveyed was that a person gets more out of life, has more fun, and enjoys better physical health if they avoid drinking at an early age and then drink in moderation rather than binge drink.

The second phase, launched in July 2001, used the theme ‘Keep Kids Safe from Drink’ and was aimed at buyers and suppliers of alcohol in an attempt to make alcohol less easy for under-age drinkers to get hold of. It set out to counter the culture of acceptance of alcohol as harmless and the tolerance that leads people to collude, often without realising it, with under-age drinking.

The third phase, launched in November 2002, used the theme ‘Think before you Drink – Less is More’ and highlighted the growing problem of excessive alcohol consumption or ‘binge drinking’ in the 18-29 year age group.

For further information see the Health Promotion Unit website at  www.healthpromotion.ie

 

 

Item Type
Article
Publication Type
Irish-related, Open Access, Article
Drug Type
Alcohol
Intervention Type
Harm reduction
Issue Title
Issue 10, March 2004
Date
March 2004
Page Range
pp. 6-7
Publisher
Health Research Board
Volume
Issue 10, March 2004
EndNote
Accession Number
HRB (Available)

Repository Staff Only: item control page