Together with South African NGO Life Talk, Brandhouse launched a programme in Gauteng schools to reduce teen drinking. The peer education programme, called Speak Up! is run in conjunction with partner NGOs Khulisa and SANCA.
The negative social impact of the misuse of alcohol by teens is enormous and crosses all income groups, cultures and both girls and boys. This is why brandhouse felt it crucial to launch this initiative .
For teens, alcohol is a gateway to serious and illegal substances and drugs. The Speak Up! project aims to dramatically reduce alcohol harm in teens and – in the process – the resultant knock-on effects, like unwanted pregnancies, an increase in STDs, rape, school drop-outs, drug abuse and crime. The programme is not only aimed at teenagers, but also parents and teachers, as apositive outcome can only be achieved if all three groups are involved.
Using a holistic approach, the programme aims to educate, engage and provide support for schools, learners and parents. By equipping them with tools and providing alternative solutions, the programme will create long term sustainability and encourage a ‘Zero Tolerance’ policy.
Excessive or inappropriate patterns of alcohol consumption may result in health or social problems. It is therefore critical that all stakeholders work together to combat misuse, Brandhouse believes. Programmes such as Speak Up! have the ability to effect real positive behavioural change. Together with government and other organisations, a hard-hitting approach must be taken in educating people about the consequences of their actions. Everybody must work together to combat the problem of teen drinking.
Brandhouse and Life Talk plan to extend the programme to more schools in Gauteng, and then nationally, once the learnings have been gathered from the recent pilot project.
The programme launch coincided with the United Nations Office on Drugs & Crime’s World Drug Day (26 June 2011), themed ‘Global Action for Healthy Communities without Drugs’, and International Drug Awareness Week (20 – 26 June 2011).