Youth Solutions has launched its annual summer campaign encouraging young people to celebrate the end of the year and kick off the new one safely.
The youth health charity, which supports and educates young people to live healthy, safe and well-connected lives, will hit both the road and its social media platforms in coming weeks to promote the Turning Summer Safer campaign.
The campaign encourages young people to “always pick safety”, sharing practical advice for young people to “Discover how to play it safe this summer”.
The campaign is made possible thanks to a generous donation from and partnership with the Hunt Family Community Foundation.
Turning Summer Safer encourages and supports young people to celebrate holidays; the end of school, study or work breaks; the festive season and gatherings with family and friends, with safety as a key consideration.
Youth Solutions will share a “play it safe playlist” on social media, noting practical and simple ideas to reduce risks this celebration season.
There will also be messaging and information around the effects of alcohol, drink driving, drink spiking and what to do in an emergency.
As young people ramp up their festive and summer celebrations, some of the campaign Playlist tips include:
- Plan fun activities that don’t involve alcohol
- Stay hydrated – drink plenty of water
- Eat well, especially before drinking alcohol
- Plan a safe way home – Uber or sober driver are good options
- Above all, remember it’s okay to not drink alcohol (and the Youth Solutions team will be sharing loads of ideas to have a fun time, without it)
Youth Solutions will also take the campaign messages and resources to a series of outreach events in November and December.
On 11 December they will be at Narellan Town Centre and six days later on 17 December at Julia Reserve, Oran Park, at a youth drop-in Christmas party
Youth Solutions chief executive officer Geraldine Dean said Turning Summer Safer was not about being the fun police. Rather, its focus was on supporting young people to enjoy and make the most of their summer and know how to reduce potential risks.
“The facts around alcohol and drug-related harm are sobering to say the least. We know that alcohol and other drugs are a leading cause of harm to young people and the broader community,” Mrs Dean said.
“I think anything we can do as a community to ease that burden is worthwhile. Our focus is on providing information and support, so young people can make informed and safe decisions around alcohol and drugs.
“Youth Solutions believes the celebration season is the perfect time to share strategies for reducing risks associated with alcohol and drugs. Our long-term goal is to normalise lower and even no alcohol consumption and increase knowledge around safe behaviours.
“The campaign also equips young people with information about what to do when something goes wrong and where to turn for support in these situations.”
The Hunt Family Community Foundation, established by the family of the late Harry Hunt, has again thrown its support behind the Turning Summer Safe campaign, contributing a generous donation to fund the campaign.
The Foundation, including long time Youth Solutions supporter Sue-Lei Hunt Mingay, gets behind community projects and initiatives, continuing Mr Hunt’s legacy as a champion and supporter of the South West Sydney community.