It’s that time of year again:
Register now for Drug Action Week
28 May 2009Final registrations are now being taken for Drug Action Week 2009 which runs from June 21-27 focussing on the theme Alcohol is a drug – TOO!
Drug Action Week is coordinated by the Alcohol and other Drugs Council of Australia (ADCA) and aims to highlight issues related to the harm caused by the misuse of alcohol and other drug issues, and to recognise those who work in frontline support services in the alcohol and other drugs sector.
Hundreds of activities have already been registered on the Drug Action Week website www.drugactionweek.org.au and promotional packs are being sent out across the nation to support events in local areas.
“We’ve had an enthusiastic response to this year’s Drug Action Week, and are pleased to see many creative activities organised to foster community debate about the harms that come from the misuse of alcohol and other drugs, “said ADCA Chief Executive Officer David Templeman.
Activity organisers are encouraged to register now, in order to take advantage of the free promotional packs. The website www.drugactionweek.org.au also has ideas for events, tips on organisation and community involvement, fact sheets and downloads which are all available free of charge.
Each day during Drug Action Week 09 will have a particular focus;
• Alcohol and Other Drugs in the Community (Monday June 22)
• Prevention and Treatment (Tuesday June 23)
• Indigenous People/Rural Australia (Wednesday June 24)
• Binge Drinking (Thursday June 25)
• Comorbidity (Friday June 26)Drug Action Week 2009 begins Sunday, 21 June and concludes on Saturday, 27 June – incorporating the National Drug and Alcohol Awards (NDAA) at Parliament House in Canberra on Friday 26 June.
www.drugactionweek.org.au
Even though there are messages about the responsible use of alcohol and every now and again there are ads on tv about ‘drink’ driving or ending up having sex, or vomiting in the street, they don’t last long.
It’s the same with Drug Action Week’s slogan last year (and the same again this year), “Alcohol is a drug….TOO!!”
How many people will remember it a week after Drug Action Week has ended (if they noticed it at all). Yet, how many people still remember (many, many years later), “I feel like a Toohey’s”, or that alcohol (as the ad said for over a year), “it’s all good, mate”. And which child doesn’t know Bundy?
The problem is, the Government ‘tries’ to put out messages that get about 1% air time and the alcohol industry (drug cartels, dealers and pushers if people are being honest) has messages going out all over the place 24/7 (almost)..and yes, even in family time under the guise of Sport.
On the other side of the coin. They will make a big deal about the dangers of alcohol for a short while (usually when some well known personality who abuses alcohol is in the news), but then it’s back to Cannabis (mostly) and occasionally ecstasy as being ‘evil drug/s’ and those are pushed for all they’re worth.
Ask anybody to name a drug and it will always be heroin, cannabis, ecstasy, amphetamines….rarely alcohol. To most people it is a DRINK…but it’s not. It’s a drug in a drink (which is water, juice, milk etc)and they treat it like a ‘drink’.
It’s time all this changed and people called a spade a spade…or, in this case, a drug a drug.
Perhaps if more was made of the fact that alcohol IS a drug (not just 1 week a year) in everything, then people might get the message.