Be Sober, Be Safe

Be Sober Be Safe – Enya O Dwyer

I am member of Tipperary Comhairle na nOg and together with the Drugs workers in Youth Work Ireland Tipperary and on behalf of Children’s & Young persons services committee we launched a social media campaign last month called ‘Be Sober Be Safe’. The campaign focused on informing young people of substance and alcohol misuse in the county. Due to the current Covid-19 pandemic, the campaign has been primarily based on Instagram and Facebook, focusing on sharing helpful information on alcohol and substance abuse. The campaign has been developed around the results of a survey undertaken by us in Tipperary on young people’s exposure to both alcohol and drugs.

The aim of the campaign was to encourage personal awareness when confronted with alcohol and drugs, without the ‘don’t do it’ culture which currently exists. The campaign posted information on one topic per week, with our first week focused on alcohol misuse such as binge drinking, which is common amongst young people. On other weeks, we highlighted common myths associated with cannabis use, facts surrounding the use of ketamine and the affects drugs have on our mood, health and general wellbeing. We learnt alot about harm reduction and having all the facts during this project.

The campaign hopes to encourage young people to be more aware of their alcohol and substance use this summer. Please like and share our project on social media.