Think Twice alcohol campaign targets youths |18 April 2009

This will be done through the newly launched campaign – Mazin de fwa or Think Twice – against alcohol abuse, which youth representatives from all districts have been learning about so they can pass on the details to others.

A workshop held recently at the Youth Health Centre, English River, explained that the Think Twice campaign was commissioned by those concerned about the growing alcohol abuse to get people to stop and think about their drinking habits.

It was launched at the beginning of the year and has six main themes, one for every two months.

The theme for January-February focused on statistics so as to give people a general idea of how damaging the situation really is.
 
For March-April it is stressing the effects of alcohol on our health and on work productivity, and explaining how much is spent by the government to limit these effects.

In May-June it will talk of alcohol’s effects on the family unit, children, the budget and expenses in general, before indicating how it affects women, with an accent on pregnant women, in July-August.

The campaign will then focus in September-October on alcohol’s link with sexually transmitted diseases and will finish in November-December with its role in our culture and the risks of driving under its influence.

Having fully understood the aims of the campaign, youth representatives are expected to go out and pass on the information to other youths so they can make an informed decision when it comes to alcohol.

Telling the representatives about the campaign, Benjamin Vel from the Drug and Alcohol Council said that for the first time businesses producing alcohol have agreed to join their voices with those of people speaking out against alcohol abuse.

He said these businesses – Seychelles Breweries and Takamaka Bay – have not joined the campaign to promote their products but to encourage people to drink sensibly.