For the sixth year in a row, Dianova Portugal and Torres Vedras city hall organized “Mocktails 2014”, a community-based, health promotion initiative to raise awareness on drug and alcohol-related consequences. The 2014 edition of the event impacted 5,749 people, an increase of 14% with respect to previous year.
The “Mocktails 2014” initiative has been held during the week of May 5 to 10, with the collaboration of 41 partners and 44 volunteers operating as “Health Ambassadors”
The team of Dianova Portugal would like to thank partners and volunteers who have made possible the operation’s success through their outstanding commitment and solidarity
Mocktails 2014 – Sixt Edition
On May 10th, the multipurpose community hall of Torres Vedras (Portugal) hosted the sixth edition of a community-based, health promotion initiative: “Mocktails, Memories of a Night of Fun”. The initiative aimed to help reduce drug and alcohol-related risk behaviors and promote safer drinking behaviors among young adults.
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The Mocktail initiative owes its enduring success to the strategic partnerships originally implemented at both regional and national levels and to the commitment of an impressive team of volunteers acting as “health ambassadors” in the city’s participating restaurants, bars and nightclubs which will be serving their community in the span of one night.
This strategic investment in the community is an effective way to communicate and transmit sound and socially responsible behaviors, with the aim of promoting health through education, information and public commitment for the community as a whole.
Partnering with Schools
During the week before the Mocktails community event, Dianova Portugal performed various advocacy and health promotion initiatives while encouraging students from partner schools to adopt safer and more responsible behaviors.
Dinner with Volunteer “Health Ambassadors”
On May 10, a reception dinner with the team of volunteers was celebrated at Quinta das Lapas, following which the “Ambassadors to health” proceeded to the various restaurants, bars and nightclubs joining the initiative. The event lasted until the following morning’s early hours, with the participation of city police members for the “Auto-Stop” initiative.
“Humor & Music”, 4th Edition
In addition to the “Mocktails” health promotion initiative was held in the city’s bars, restaurants and clubs, starting from 10 pm. Saturday night, the fourth edition of the “Humor & Music” event was concurrently organized at Torres Vedras multipurpose community hall with the participation of artists António Raminhos and Nilton César Mourão. Dianova Portugal joined the show to raise public awareness of drunk driving risk factors and other aspects of this social problem.
Alcohol and traffic-related accidents: incrase in alcohol-related traffic crashes in Portugal
Despite a slight decrease in alcohol use among Portuguese youth, the 2011 ESPAD report (European School Survey Project on Alcohol and Other Drugs) stresses that a significant number of the latter continue to drive after drinking. Irresponsible alcohol use is the leading cause of traffic-related fatalities and injuries among young adults aged 18 to 29 years, especially during weekends. Driving while intoxicated is dangerous and drivers with high blood concentration are at increased risk of car accidents and vehicular deaths. Many of the functions that drivers depend on to drive safely are affected by alcohol. Drinking can reduce drivers’ ability to see distant objects (night vision can be reduced by 25%); it may provoke blurred and double vision while reducing drivers’ ability to perceive what is happening around them. Alcohol misuse may also impair neuromuscular coordination and may induce people to take potentially dangerous risks.
