When it comes to tackling the problem of alcohol and young people during the city's Hallowe'en celebrations this year, local organisation DIVERT is taking a hands on approach.
Next Saturday, on Hallowe’en night, a team of 20 volunteers will take to the streets as part of the ‘All Treats no Tricks’ campaign.
This year, from a special mobile unit, DIVERT staff and volunteers will distribute bottled water, personal safety
alarms and anti-spiking devices in the city centre and other areas, aimed at reducing the risk of alcohol related incidents during this year’s festivities.
Bronach McMonagle, DIVERT Project Co-ordinator, says the group’s 2009 campaign will be the most visible to date.
She told the ‘Sunday Journal’: “This is the third year of the campaign and we’ve been visiting a lot of local schools in recent weeks giving workshops around the dangers associated with underage drinking.
“We’ve been speaking to year 11 and year 12 pupils and working with the Civic Alcohol Forum in the city, and we’re really hopeful that our work will have a positive impact during this, the third year of the campaign.
“Our objective has been to meet young people before we take the mobile unit onto the streets this year so that they see our faces and recognise us.”
Bronach says the DIVERT initiative is hoping to promote a responsible attitude to drinking.
“What we’re doing is very much based around harm reduction and looking at the other social factors which come into play. We’ll be starting off in hotspots like Galliagh and Hazelbank and finishing off in the city centre where we’ll stay until the street pastors come on board at around 10.30pm.
“We want to promote a safe and sensible night for all young people attending this year’s events. We’ll be on the scene to hand out practical tokens like anti-spiking devices and bottled water to minimise the risk to our young people and we hope that what we do will go some way towards reducing the amount of alcohol based incidents on what should be a great night for everyone.”
