Posted on 12th December 2022
Youth Solutions: Trending Now: Summer Celebrations campaign
Warmer weather, get-togethers and parties are full swing, which can only mean one thing; the summer and festive season is reaching its peak! With the Summer Celebrations well underway, Youth Solutions is reminding young people and the wider community to continue to make “safer summer celebrations” a priority.
Last month, Youth Solutions launched its Trending Now: Summer Celebrations campaign, to prioritise the sharing of key information and supports to help Macarthur and Wingecarribee young people to keep safe when heading out, celebrating, or drinking alcohol.
The campaign and its messaging, multimedia strategies and community engagement activities will continue through to January, with the goals of encouraging safer summer celebrations, boosting health literacy around alcohol and reducing harm.
Members of Youth Solutions’ Youth Advisory Group (YAG) have weighed in on the latest summer celebration trends; keen to contribute some of their own experiences and advice to their peers.
Youth Solutions Community Relations & Communications Coordinator and Trending Now campaign lead, Amanda Dillon, said the campaign’s practical advice and strategies aimed to reduce negative impact on summer celebrations to help young people to have a good time and get home safely.
“We want to reduce alcohol-related harm to young people in the Macarthur and Wingecarribee community and we want to create a supportive community where moderated alcohol consumption and safe partying practices are encouraged and young people look out for one another,” she said.
“It is important for us, particularly at this time of the year, to continue to provide the information and support young people need to celebrate safely,”
Chief Executive Officer, Geraldine Dean, said the Trending Now: Summer Celebrations campaign directly aligned with Youth Solutions’ goals of promoting health, preventing harm and keeping young people healthy, safe and connected.
“Reducing drug and alcohol harm is a public health priority and the Australian Government has adopted a harm minimisation approach to policy,” Mrs Dean said. “That’s what we at Youth Solutions strive for as well.”
“It’s especially significant in light of such data as the National Drug Strategy Household Survey which found young people aged 14 to 29 were more likely to binge drink, than any other population group, as well as our own research projects at Youth Solutions in which young people have shared their experiences with us.”
“From these research projects, we know that prevention strategies are welcomed by young people and are effective in helping to reduce harm to our young people. Running health promotion campaigns, like the Trending Now: Summer Celebrations campaign, alongside our youth and community project work and services is part of our solution to helping address these issues to have a positive impact on our young people.”
“We want everyone in our community to have a great, safe festive season.”
A few key tips from the campaign team:
For all the campaign tips and updates visit our Trending Now: Summer Celebrations campaign page or connect with Youth Solutions on social media: Instagram Instagram | TikTok.com | Facebook.
