DAAP's press release on Drinksense campaign causes great flurry!
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DAAP's press release outlining the activities of its annual Drinksense campaign caused great media flurry and much feedback from members of the public!
Ealing and Southall Gazette gave front page coverage and totally missed the point by using a banner headline ‘Asian drunks to be named and shamed'! BBC radio Asian network picked on the ‘name and shame' aspect of the release and got it completely wrong!
Our campaign aims to address the disproportionately high mortality rate related to alcohol use amongst South Asian and particularly Sikh men. It also highlights the danger of drinking excess alcohol at Punjabi and especially at Sikh weddings.
Further we want to support those parents who say that they are being pressurized to provide alcohol at weddings even though they themselves are non-drinkers. For many this is akin to demanding a dowry.
The ‘name and shame' came as a suggestion from some of these parents who feel very passionately about being pressurized.
Despite the inaccurate reporting, DAAP has received numerous messages of support for the campaign even from as far away as from India!
A few people are clearly worried about who will be named and shamed.
This shock tactic has worked! The debate is alive and growing…
DAAP has no intention of naming and shaming individual people. As is the case with all our campaign work, we want to commend good practice and challenge the reverse.
Success stories of where people have resisted the pressure to provide alcohol will be publicised as case stuides on our web site as will stories where people feel that they have been coerced.
We have teamed up with local organisations including Sikh temples to organize an action day on Drinksense.
Participants will learn about alcohol addiction and harm related to alcohol AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, they will discuss local solutions to tackle this.
The key note speaker at the event is consultant psychiatrist Doctor Gurprit Pannu, who has done extensive research in this area.
Our aim is to change behaviours that lead to physical, mental, psychological and emotional harm for individuals and communities.
Alcohol related harm is a critical issue that faces all communities particularly at this time of festive celebrations.
I reiterate our annual message... We wish everyone a happy Christmas and a year full of Drinksense!