A statistic from the National Anti-drug Agency in Romania from 2018 says that 9 out of 10 students consume alcohol, even drugs. As students grow older, many will be confronted by the opportunity to take drugs and participate in activities involving smoking and alcohol.
A group of 8 young people from the Asociatia D.G.T. that participated in the youth exchange Global Youth Advocacy în Aviles, Spain have decided to tackle the issue and to raise awareness about the negative effects of these addictions.
Coming from 4 different cities from Romania (Iasi, Pascani, Bucharest, and Focsani), they found it a common problem for young people and with a big impact on the future. They felt that something needs to be done about the inevitably destructive relationship between drugs, alcohol, and youth.
In March 2019, they organized the campaign “Sport, not alcohol and drugs” for teenagers with fewer opportunities at the “Mihail Kogalniceanu” High School based in Miroslava, Iasi with the support of DGT Association.
The campaign was related to why drugs and alcohol abuse can be harmful to them and what they can do to replace this need. Special attention has been given to schools because can play a key role in preventing alcohol and drug problems.
The main event of the campaign was on 30 of March 2019. It was organized a Treasure Hunt with the aim to promote sport as a healthy alternative for the consumptions of drugs and alcohol in schools and also to highlight the sport values as a tool for the development of positive attitudes for the young generations. Within the project was included a dissemination session to inform young people about Erasmus+ Program, about the Global Youth Advocacy project and also to challenge them to go through some of the steps of an advocacy campaign: to analyze the reality, to analyze the issues that affect them and to take action to change something. Some of the issues that they found at a local level are related with the fact that authorities should invest more in public transportation, there are not enough spaces for sportive activities, not too much care for the environment.
The event was in partnership with Agricultural Technological High School “M. Kogalniceanu” and Iasi County Directorate for Youth and Sport
