An Irish film and multimedia competition that promotes the responsible use of alcohol amongst third-level students was highlighted as a model of best practice at EU level last week.
DARE2BDRINKAWARE.ie – which is organised by drinkaware.ie, in association with the Digital Hub Development Agency – was invited to present to the European Alcohol and Health Forum (EAHF) in Brussels, in recognition of the competition’s success in promoting a responsible drinking message to young people in Ireland.
The EAHF was established by the European Commission to support the implementation of the EU Alcohol Strategy. Its members include representatives from public health bodies, the media and advertising industries, alcohol producers, research institutions, and health, consumer and youth NGOs.
The DARE2BDRINKAWARE.ie competition has been running since 2007 and, over the past five years, hundreds of students from throughout the country have taken part. Participants are asked to submit short films or multimedia projects that focus on responsible drinking and related issues. The 2012 competition was launched in recent weeks, and will focus on the theme of ‘drinking in a home environment’.
Commenting from Brussels last week, Fionnuala Sheehan, Chief Executive of drinkaware.ie, said the EAHF invitation was proof that DARE2BDRINKAWARE.ie was having a strong impact on its target audience.
DARE2BDRINKAWARE.ie – which is organised by drinkaware.ie, in association with the Digital Hub Development Agency – was invited to present to the European Alcohol and Health Forum (EAHF) in Brussels, in recognition of the competition’s success in promoting a responsible drinking message to young people in Ireland.
The EAHF was established by the European Commission to support the implementation of the EU Alcohol Strategy. Its members include representatives from public health bodies, the media and advertising industries, alcohol producers, research institutions, and health, consumer and youth NGOs.
The DARE2BDRINKAWARE.ie competition has been running since 2007 and, over the past five years, hundreds of students from throughout the country have taken part. Participants are asked to submit short films or multimedia projects that focus on responsible drinking and related issues. The 2012 competition was launched in recent weeks, and will focus on the theme of ‘drinking in a home environment’.
Commenting from Brussels last week, Fionnuala Sheehan, Chief Executive of drinkaware.ie, said the EAHF invitation was proof that DARE2BDRINKAWARE.ie was having a strong impact on its target audience.
“We established this competition five years ago, with the aim of getting college students more directly engaged in our work,” she said. “By inviting them to develop creative ideas for films or multimedia projects, and then to produce these and submit them for judging, we really get them thinking—over a sustained period of time—about attitudes to drinking and being more responsible in their drinking behaviour,” she said.
The aim of the drinkaware.ie programme is to promote responsibility when drinking and to challenge anti-social behaviour related to excessive drinking. It addresses all consumers while specifically targeting 18- to 24-year-olds, with a bulls-eye of 22-year-olds.
The aim of the drinkaware.ie programme is to promote responsibility when drinking and to challenge anti-social behaviour related to excessive drinking. It addresses all consumers while specifically targeting 18- to 24-year-olds, with a bulls-eye of 22-year-olds.
The communications strategy adopted for the drinkaware.ie programme is designed to effect a positive change in drinking culture and behaviour. It seeks to do this through:
“We don’t set out to lecture to students, or to patronise them. Instead, we aim to engage with them as equals, and to take on board their feedback about what does and doesn’t work. So we’ve adapted the competition over time, adding new categories, incorporating different themes, and placing a stronger emphasis on the use of social media as a promotional and communications tool. As a result, the number of entries we receive continues to rise each year,” said Ms Sheehan.
“We put together a high-profile judging panel for DARE2BDRINKAWARE.ie and we have developed strong links with leading stakeholders in the film and multimedia industries. We also invite acclaimed industry professionals to deliver keynote addresses at the competition awards ceremony each year. So we’ve had the likes of film directors Lenny Abrahamson and Juanita Wilson, and the Emmy award-winner Dearbhla Walsh, speaking at these events in the past.
“The way we see it, the competition not only get students thinking about drinking, but also offers them a valuable opportunity to meet people working in their chosen careers, to network with them, and to develop contacts and skills that will stand to them in the future,” she said.
In addition to presenting to the EAHF, representatives of DARE2BDRINKAWARE.ie also met with Irish MEPs in Brussels to brief them about the competition.
“We’re delighted this initiative is being recognised at European level as a model of best practice in engaging with young people around the responsible use of alcohol,” said Ms Sheehan. “We have received a very positive response from the EAHF and from Irish MEPs, and we look forward to continuing to develop DARE2BDRINKAWARE.ie over the coming years.”
