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Drug Awareness Week (DAW) began as a grassroots initiative in the early 1980s, and was officially recognized as National Drug Awareness Week in 1987 by the minister of Health and Welfare at the time -- the same year that Canada's first national drug strategy was launched.
It was also during the late 1980s that Alberta's Nechi Institute began to host the very successful National Addictions Awareness Week (NAAW). Although primarily an Aboriginal initiative, it quickly caught on with non-Aboriginal communities as well. Find out more about plans for NAAW 2007 at http://www.naaw.net/.
The development and ongoing endorsements of the National Framework for Action have placed fresh emphasis on substance abuse prevention and awareness activities, and has created new opportunities for improved coordination of those activities. The Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse believes that National Drug and Addictions Awareness Week is an initiative that merits the attention of all Canadians and this Web page is intended to help that happen.
CCSA online resources
Prevention: http://www.ccsa.ca/CCSA/EN/Topics/Intervention/Prevention.htm
Statistics (including provincial student drug use surveys): http://www.ccsa.ca/CCSA/EN/Statistics/
NAAW/DAW activities across Canada:
NOTE: CCSA has not yet heard from all jurisdictions. Please submit material to rgarlick@ccsa.ca
Alberta
Manitoba
Newfoundland and Labrador
Nova Scotia
Ontario
Quebec
Saskatchewan
National Addictions Awareness Week (NAAW) Launch
Department of National Defence
This year, the theme for AADAC (Alberta Alcohol and Drug Abuse Commission) and its community partners' campaign is Change is possible. Messages will encourage people to take the next step in seeking help if they, or someone they know is experiencing problems with alcohol, tobacco, other drugs or gambling. Parents and key influencers of youth are encouraged to continue their healthy actions to prevent future problems. The theme line appears with a photo of the word "addiction" with the letters "d", "d" and "i" lightly erased so that the word "action" remains. For help or information, people are encouraged to contact their local AADAC offices, the AADAC Help Line or aadac.com
Local activities are planned and carried out by AADAC offices, funded services and community drug coalitions. Activities include sober walks, resource fairs, activities and presentations in schools and community centres; radio and newspaper messages; family swims and skating; and a youth video contest. Promotional items have been produced with the new campaign theme and look to support these activities.
AADAC's province-wide media activities include a newspaper ad in the daily and weekly papers and a two-page newspaper feature in Edmonton and Calgary. For the month of November, bookmarks will be distributed via the 262 public libraries throughout the province.
This year Nechi Institute has modified their theme to be It takes a healthy community to raise a child. The word "whole" was been changed from the original slogan to "healthy" because if communities are unstable environments engaged in addictions, then they are not upholding their responsibility to their children. Check out http://www.naaw.net/ for more information.
People are invited to kick off National Addictions Awareness Week in Calgary with the 11th Annual Wellness Walk-Keeping the Circle Strong. This event began as a community celebration for NAAW, and has evolved into a larger event with a few hundred participants walking in recognition and support of healthy, addiction-free living. The event is characteristic of the collaborative efforts of communities with NAAW activities across the province.
The walk takes place on Monday, Nov. 19, starting at 12 noon at the Downtown Friendship Centre, (610-8 Avenue S.E.) where participants are invited to come for lunch and to hear speakers. The walk (approximately 45 minutes) will end at the City Hall Atrium (800 Macleod Trail S.E.) where there will be resource fair. Later in the day, a family skate will be held at the Olympic Oval. For more information, please contact Debbie Crosby at 403-297-3337.
In Edmonton, partners of the Edmonton Community Drug Strategy are sponsoring an Addictions Free Commercial Contest for youth aged 9-24 years. Youth are invited to develop 30-60 second audio or video commercials. There are hopes to air the top commercials during NAAW and the week will end with a sensational community screening and awards presentation (the NAAWscars) at Edmonton City Hall, Friday November 23rd from 6 to 9 p.m.
For more information, contact Cathy.Work@aadac.gov.ab.ca
Manitoba
Manitoba Addictions Awareness Week (MAAW), November 19-25Manitoba Addictions Awareness Week (MAAW) celebrates its 15th Anniversary this year! The theme chosen for this special occasion is Let's talk about...it-an inviting, inclusive and positive message that hopefully will open the door to communication about substance use/misuse, gambling and related issues.
The MAAW kick-off will take place on November 19 at 11 a.m. at R.B. Russell School. Students from the school's theatre program will perform a play that they have developed featuring this year's theme. The winners of the 2007 Addictions Awareness Week awards will be honoured guests as part of the kick-off ceremony, receiving their plaques and having an opportunity to describe the exciting initiatives that they have undertaken in their communities.
This year more than 80 Manitoba schools, community groups and workplaces applied for and received funding from the MAAW Committee to assist with Addictions Awareness Week activities and events. Over 2,000 MAAW resource kits were distributed throughout the province to all schools, selected community groups and workplaces. These kits, available in English or French, this year included:
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A Contest: Young people from Kindergarten to Grade 12 can submit a poster, a piece of writing, or a video.
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New and updated topics, fact sheets and learning activities, a complete sample set of AFM's "The Basics" fact sheet series; other topics/activities such as Cannabis and Driving, Amazing Addictions Race, Levels of Involvement, Healthy Alternatives, My Personal Recreation Choices, Addictions Internet Information Scavenger Hunt, Substance Use and Mental Health; highlights of the AFM reports Alcohol and Other Drug Use by Manitoba Students and Student Gambling Report, and much more.
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Other information and activities such as Mapping Community Resources, Workplace Wellness, Parenting for Prevention, and highlights of the Costs of Substance Abuse in Canada 2002 report.
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A matrix linking MAAW activities to the learning outcomes of Manitoba Physical Education/Health Education Curriculum.
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An annotated list of websites indicating whether they include fact sheets, learning activities and information in English and French.
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Information on AFM Library and other community resources.
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An order form for this year's special promotional item-a bilingual green and purple silicone bracelet imprinted with "Let's talk about.it!" "Parlons-en!" and the MAAW website address. Limited quantities of these multi-coloured, bilingual bracelets are made available free to Manitoba schools, community groups and workplaces.
The kit also contains many ideas for planning and promoting addictions awareness events/activities during Addictions Awareness Week and throughout the year. For more information on kit contents or ordering promotional items, contact Sheila at AFM Library, 204-944-6367, or sduprey@afm.mb.ca or Gwennette at 944-6281 or gcharles@afm.mb.ca. Check out the MAAW website at http://www.afm.mb.ca/maaw.
Addictions Awareness Week (AAW), November 19-25
Addictions Awareness Week in Newfoundland and Labrador will be kicked off on Monday, Nov. 19. The theme for the third year in a row will be Get Up On It. This year, parents will be the main target group with messages for parents to stay tuned in to their children's lives. Parents will be encouraged to go to the http://www.getuponit.ca/ website for more information.
The campaign will include newspaper and radio ads, an Addictions Awareness Week poster, and a family calendar contest to promote family activities that are free of gambling and substance use.
Our theme for Addictions Awareness Week speaks to what we want parents to do. Stop. Get up on it. Get the facts. Get up on the facts related to their teens and drinking, drug use and gambling. We want parents to be more informed about the role they can play in prevention of substance use and gambling with their children. We're asking parents to listen to their kids, ask questions, become more involved and get up on it.
There are many activities happening all across the province within the four health regions, including presentations; family events; scavenger hunts; staff trivia contests; essay, poster and colouring contests; sponsored coffee breaks; and many, many other activities.
For more information, contact Renee Ryan, Addictions Consultant, Department of Health and Community Services at 709-729-1335 or at ReneeCRyan@gov.nl.ca .
The focus of Addiction Awareness Week in Nova Scotia is on celebrating and raising awareness about the work of Addiction Services in Nova Scotia communities as well as drawing attention to the impact of alcohol on the health and well-being of Nova Scotians. The Department of Health Promotion and Protection, Addiction Services, will be releasing the 2007 Nova Scotia Student Drug Use Survey during Addiction Awareness Week.
District Addiction Services staff and volunteers, together with community partners, have a variety of events planned throughout the province. Some highlights include a two-day Introduction to Addictions Workshop in Digby, acupuncture demonstration, and open house (South West Health Authority); a movie night, family skate, parent info sessions and a blue grass concert with mocktail bar (Cumberland Health Authority); a flag-raising ceremony, Question of Influence Teacher Training, Addiction Services open houses (Colchester East Hants Health Authority); Alcohol 101 at Cape Breton University, School Board Presentations, Yellow Flag Awareness Sessions at STFX and NSCC Marconi Campuses, Race Against Drugs in Pomquet, and school and community presentations (Cape Breton Health Authority, Guysborough-Antigonish-Strait Health Authority); Halifax Mooseheads Hockey Team radio PSAs to be broadcast in the HRM listening area (Capital Health);artwork by young "weather watchers" depicting positive lifestyle choices to be highlighted by ATV meteorologist Cindy Day throughout the week, and events such as the PARTY Program, a coffee house, family skates and flag raising hosted by local Drug Awareness Committees in HRM (Capital Health); and many more school and community events throughout the province.
For more information about Addiction Awareness Week events in Nova Scotia, contact Barbara Miles, Coordinator, Prevention & Community Education, Addiction Services, Nova Scotia Department of Health Promotion and Protection, at 902-424-7220, or email MILESBD@gov.ns.ca, or visit http://www.gov.ns.ca/hpp/ (click on Addiction Prevention).
Drug Awareness Week (DAW), November 19-25
The Ontario Drug Awareness Partnership (ODAP) and its Drug Awareness Committees are responsible for the majority of the province's Drug Awareness Week events and resources. ODAP is sponsored by Parent Action on Drugs with funding from the Ministry of Health, Health Promotion Branch.
The TALK campaign will continue to be the focus of Drug Awareness Week for the fourth year. The TALK Campaign has proven to be very successful in communities where the messaging has taken effect. Community partners are using the TALK logo on materials they distribute through public health and other community agencies. The 2007 materials will highlight the T and the K . T for Teach and K for Knowledge. At the request of community partners, scratch and learn cards will once again be produced as they have proven to provide "teachable moments". For the 2007 DAW campaign, cards have been designed to address the youth and senior markets addressing the issues of alcohol, marijuana and medication use. Using the phrase "Are You In the Know", a series of questions are asked and appropriate website information for facts has been included. All materials are available in English and French.
Erasers with the TALK logo and written materials outlining the history of Drug Awareness Week in Ontario, Information from Partner Organizations and a resource list will be available. For more information, contact Bev Woods, ODAP Coordinator, at 519-824-4434, 1866-202-2146 or by email at odapprograms@rogers.com. Check out the ODAP website at http://www.odap.org/
Drug Awareness Week, November 18-24
Quebec's Drug Awareness Week runs this year from November 18 to 24, 2007, under the theme of "It's not illegal to talk about it". This year, the campaign's goal is to encourage young people to make informed decisions about alcohol, other drugs, and gambling. It will also encourage parents to use their influence and their special relationship with their children to work against addiction in young people.
As in previous years, the Ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux, in collaboration with the Ministère de l'Éducation, du Loisir et du Sport, will be distributing information to elementary, secondary, and CÉGEP students to raise their awareness and make them better informed about alcohol and other drugs, in particular about the risks and consequences of using them.
For more information, visit http://dependances.gouv.qc.ca/index.php?drug_awareness_week
Saskatchewan Addictions Awareness Week (SAAW), November 18-24
A major focus of this year's SAAW activities is creating awareness about the harms related to excess or "Binge Drinking". SAAW, in partnership with the Alcohol and Drug Education and Prevention Directorate, has a new resource entitled "Alcohol.What's the harm?" Other new resources this year include a focus on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, a Reality Fact sheet on "weed", and tips on how to hold an Open House as part of SAAW activities.
A few more resources have been added to the Fun Section for youth, including a snakes and ladders game, Reality Check Maze and an "I'm too busy for drugs" activity worksheet. Certificates of Participation and a Healthy Choices Pledge are also available for prevention activities and events.
All materials are available on CD, including Reality Check materials produced over the past five years, an updated Resource directory of all Addiction Services in Saskatchewan Health Regions, and a large selection of "did you know" samples that can be used to generate discussions. All SAAW documents are designed to be easily edited, personalized, printed and emailed to other interested parties.
For additional Reality Check materials and promotional items with the gambling Reality Check theme, please contact Leanne Fisher, Problem Gambling Consultant at 306-787-4094.
For additional information about SAAW, contact Laurel Mackie, Chair of the SAAW Committee. Tel.: 306-688-8291; e-mail: cadac@sasktel.net
National Addictions Awareness Week (NAAW) was conceptualized and developed by Nechi Training, Research and Health Promotions Institute (Nechi) in 1989 to promote activities at the national level. The purpose of NAAW is to provide information, materials and promote activities that serve to raise awareness of addictions and promote healthier lifestyles in both official languages.
In 1988, the Keep the Circle Strong theme was adopted from Coppermine, a small community in the Northwest Territories, which used it for several years to promote their addictions awareness week campaign. The slogan conveys the message of a circle of individuals, families, communities and nations who have chosen a healthy lifestyle free from addictions. It also exemplifies the constant forward movement of the circle of life for all people and all nations, encouraging balance and harmony. Through the community host contest, each community is able to develop its own theme and Nechi then chooses one of them every year as an overall theme.
The Community Host for 2007 is Red Pheasant First Nation, Saskatchewan. In honor of this traditional celebration, this year's NAAW theme is," It takes a healthy community to raise a child". Red Pheasant National Addictions Awareness Week Committee is organizing events such as the Sober walk with a pancake breakfast, various addictions presentations, family fun nights and traditional closing ceremonies.
Please contact the National Coordinator, Shana Dion at 1-780-459-1884, ext. 427 or the Community Host kick-off contact, Ryan Bugler in Red Pheasant First Nation at 1-306-937-2531, ext. 6 for more information on the NAAW Kick-off 2007.
DND has prepared material for all Canadian Forces bases in Canada and are continuing for the third year with the theme of Stop and Think Before You Drink to encourage responsible drinking and promote Low-Risk Drinking Guidelines.
DND has developed an Addictions Awareness Week kit for all Health Promotion staff, which includes posters, pamphlets, several short information articles, drink insulators and calendars as giveaways. These materials will be posted on a website for all military personal. In addition, a variety of activities will be organized on each Canadian Forces base throughout the week ranging from supervisory training, kiosks, information session, etc.
DND will also be launching a campaign focusing on the dangers of illegal drug use with the theme Drugs make you an easy target to encourage a drug-free lifestyle for all military personal.
For more information, contact Deanne Chafe, MSW, RSW, at 613-392-2811, ext. 4324; fax: 613-965-7082; email: Chafe.DA@forces.gc.ca
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