Dont Walk Away Campaign DWA Steve Evans MBE

Don’t Walk Away Campaign (DWA) Steve Evans MBE

Introduction – What Is The Project? • DWA is an awareness campaign aimed at young people. • The campaign informs young people about the dangers of alcohol and educates them on what they should do in an emergency situation • Promotional tools used include a poster, first aid advice ‘When things go wrong’ and a DVD

UK Government Figures • Under 11 Year Olds admitted to A&E 2012 – 300 Children • 100 under 10 Year olds in Alcohol Counselling in UK • Under 18 year olds treated in A&E 6500 • Those that do drink are consuming more units • In the last 4 Years Girls have overtaken Boys in the number of Alcohol Units consumed in this time the number of Females who have been sexually assaulted has more than doubled

Chief Medical Officer The Chief Medical Officer stated that the safe Alcohol Limit for under 15 Year olds is ZERO, there is no safe amount of Alcohol that Young People can consume • The reason is that chemical changes occur that means that a binge drinking Young Person has a much greater chance of becoming a problem drinker in Adulthood, this is the same reason that Young People generally don’t have hangovers.

Don’t Walk Away! • Need to educate young people about dangers of drinking alcohol • Need to encourage young people to phone 999 without fear • Instruct young people how to care for their friends by using basic first aid • Encourage young people to look after each other and take care of their peers

ALCOHOL IS A POISON • A poison is any substance taken in such quantities that it can damage or affect health • A young person’s liver is not ready to process this poison • A young person’s body weight/mass versus alcohol units consumed is much worse than adults. • This also amplifies the effects of hypothermia

ALCOHOL IS A POISON • Alcohol has more of an adverse effect on the female body than that of the male body • There is an increased risk of rape when an unconscious female is abandoned by her friends after consuming alcohol • This is a Health Time bomb. As it takes ten years of heavy drinking to cause liver failure

What Can We Do? • Q: How can we dissuade young people from abusing alcohol? • A: You can only inform young people of the facts surrounding alcohol and the dangers involved and give them the knowledge of how to deal with the consequences.

Key Messages • Take care of yourself and those around you. • Do not leave a friend alone after drinking alcohol as it is dangerous. • Always call 999 if your friend is unwell/unconscious after drinking alcohol. • Basic First Aid can help save your friends life.

Famous Faces… • The face of the campaign – it’s poster – has and will feature in many of the country’s leading TV programmes: – – – – – Byker Grove Grange Hill Holby City The Bill Emmerdale Holly Oaks Coronation Street Eastenders Doctors

Recovery Position § Hello § Cheeky § Lets have a Knees up § And Go for a roll § Open airway and bring up leg to stop rolling back or to far forward

Thanks for listening steve@samanco. freeserve. co. uk