• The ‘Say Yeah, Nah’ campaign resources take off
• A new ‘Helpseekers’ campaign rolls out of the Health Promotion Agency stable
• The ‘Say Yeah, Nah’ message takes to the road, courtesy of the White Ribbon Riders
• PHAB-U-LOUS Events for Young People with Disabilities – cheers with mocktails
• Improving Baby Boomers’ Health – alcohol issues with the over 65s
• HPA Resource of the month – The updated Intoxication Assessment Tool
• Details of two upcoming conferences.

As always, if you have an article you’d like to submit to Ease Up (maximum word count 300 words) or if you would like to highlight an upcoming event, we’d love to hear from you so please email enquires@healthpromotion.org.nz.
 

Barbara Seddon

Editor

Demand for ‘Say Yeah, Nah’ resources not easing up

The Health Promotion Agency (HPA) ‘Say Yeah, Nah’ campaign has created unprecedented demand for resources and we’re delighted that there has been so much support. 

So much support in fact that demand has exceeded supply and we’ve had to reorder stock. Our apologies for not being able to send the resources as quickly as we would all like (it’s a Yeah for the orders but a temporary Nah for the supply) but they should be back in stores in approximately a week.

We’d love to hear how these resources helped – and photos are very welcome (many thanks to those who have been in touch already) – so please send any feedback to enquires@healthpromotion.org.nz

To streamline the ordering process, you can order by clicking onto this link www.alcohol.org.nz/alcohol-activities-services/campaigns-communication-work/say-yeah-nah-resources

A new  ‘Helpseekers’ advertising campaign, launched last Sunday, invites heavy drinkers to answer a few questions about the consequences of their drinking and call the Alcohol Drug Helpline if they find themselves answering ‘yeah’ more often than they would like.

It ties in nicely with the Say Yeah Nah campaign by using the terms ‘Yeah’ and ‘Nah’ and it is intended that each campaign will add value to the other.

As well as radio advertising, advertising will be placed in magazines popular with the target audience. There will also be a significant online presence to encourage people to either call the Helpline or use the tools available on the alcohol.org.nz website.

Posters and other supporting material, suitable for Emergency Departments, general practice and other health settings are also being developed but not yet available – we will update you on their availability in the June Ease Up so watch this space.  In the meantime, have a listen to the two radio ads:
 

• Radio Ad version 1
• Radio Ad version 2

The White Ribbon Riders donned ‘Say Yeah, Nah’ beanies for this photo (before putting their helmets back to ride away).

The Health Promotion Agency’s (HPA’s) ‘Say Yeah, Nah’ message is being promoted by these White Ribbon riders who were attending the White Ribbon Riders’ Hui at Taurua Marae in preparation for the nation-wide 2013 White Ribbon Ride in November.

“There has been positive reaction on Facebook where the photos were posted. Alcohol is a factor that is too often present during incidents of family violence, not to say alcohol is the cause though. Men have to take responsibility for their actions whether that is drinking or using violence. The reality remains that statistically, alcohol is too often present when violence occurs, so the riders support the ‘Yeah Nah’ campaign and hope that this message will further cement the need for men to take responsibility for their actions,” says Rob McCann, the White Ribbon Campaign Manager.

The Ride is led by the Patriots’ Motorcycle Club (former or current members of the Defence Force, many of whom have served in peacekeeping roles overseas but now wish to bring that peace to homes in their own country) and Te Ahi Kikoha which translates as ‘the sharpened’ flame, a group of Māori riders who wish to end violence directed at women.

The Ride will begin in Rotorua, head down State Highway 1 to Wellington where they split into an east and west Ride. Those two Rides then head up the island joining in Auckland before taking part in the Bream Bay ride. A separate South Island Ride takes place at the same time.

“The riders deliver the campaign messages at events throughout the country while taking part in interviews and meeting communities. The Ride concept is quite simple, in that tough looking bikers deliver messages of love and respect. The noise and excitement of the bikes generates a great deal of interest, while the riders are able to deliver the messages in a way that a ‘suit and tie’ never can,” Rob says.

Lily Hunter, Viia Lupo, Grace Lee, Vaotane Filemoni & Awhina Rodgers raise their glasses and toast to their mocktail the "Fantastic Five" a delicious mix of ginger beer, apple juice, orange juice and pineapple... decorated with cherry tomatoes and a sprinkling of sugar.

“For most people with a disability, difficulties associated with physical, sensory or intellectual limitations are not so much problems to be solved but realities to be accepted.”

That’s the view of Auckland photographer and Physically Able and Disabled Bodies (PHAB) disability youth worker Renata Kotua, who says acceptance issues can become overwhelming for people with disabilities.

“To overcome social awkwardness they often drink excessively to calm their nerves and prove they can ‘hack it’ with everyone else,” she says.

“Having Cerebral Palsy myself, this is something I’ve witnessed growing up. Through my involvement with the Community Insight Group (CIG), the group set up to advise the HPA on Auckland community alcohol issues, I saw a chance to organise some alcohol awareness evenings to reach out to my community and let them know there are healthy ways to socialise and still gain acceptance from their peers.”

A recent survey by Renata of 60 South Auckland young people with disabilities revealed only three percent could accurately describe a standard drink. Around 86 percent said they used alcohol to ‘join in’ with friends and family, and 80 percent admitted suggesting people drink with them ‘for the company’.

Most had alcohol bought for them by family, and about 60 percent ignored instructions not to drink because of the medication they were on.

In response, early this month the first of three ‘PHAB-U-LOUS alcohol awareness evenings aimed at young people with disabilities took place in Mangere. Organised by Renata with the help of staff from youth disability sector group PHAB, CCS Disability Action Community Support Coordinator for Disability Youth, Boudene Hauraki, and volunteers from De La Salle College, the event drew 50 young people with physical, sensory and learning disabilities from the local PHAB Pasifika Group.

Kicked off with a presentation from CIG member and alcohol awareness advocate, Peter Thorburn, the event included a fiercely fought best ‘mocktail’ competition, food, music and socialising.

The Health Promotion Agency’s Northern Regional Manager, Shirleyanne Brown, organised the venue hire, transport, speaker’s fee, food, and the mocktail ingredients and prizes.  Everyone left with HPA resources on standard drinks, and an alcohol-free cocktail recipe book.

For information about upcoming alcohol awareness evenings see www.phab.org.nz

Increased awareness about how to better support over 65s with alcohol issues is behind a series of Health Promotion Agency (HPA) funded workshops recently held around the North Island.

Earlier this year, the HPA contracted the Napier-based Kina Trust to run training workshops for people in the care industry working with older people.

Kina Trust interim director, Andrew Raven, says the Trust has held a number of day long workshops in the Hawke’s Bay, Tauranga and Kapiti for carers, nurses and social workers aimed at helping them detect where alcohol abuse has become an issue for their clients.

Workshop numbers have been limited to between 20-25 participants, but have consistently been oversubscribed, Andrew says.

That the baby boomer generation, now hitting 65, is the healthiest, most mobile and longest living generation ever has bought its own problems, he says.

“At the workshops we identify three categories of older problem drinkers. Firstly there’s the group that’s now 65 and has always drunk, are alcohol addicted and resistant to change.

“Then there’s what we call the ‘late on-set’ group who may have always drunk socially but their drinking has increased following a loss, such as the death of a spouse.

“Finally, there’s the moderate, social drinkers who because of age, physical changes or various medications are adversely affected by alcohol and are not aware of how these changes are affecting their ability to handle drinking.”

The second and third groups are the most amenable to changing their approach, he says.

Symptoms that alert care givers, family members, or even the drinkers themselves, that alcohol is an issue include; a pattern of falls, disordered liver function, frequent intoxication, drinking at inappropriate times of the day, financial problems, hospital admissions, and concerns raised by family, neighbours and friends.

Andrew says the workshops offer information on screening tools, such as the Alcohol Use Disorder Inventory Test (‘the AUDIT’), making referrals, brief intervention techniques, and working with families, as well as information on how aging and medication affect older bodies.

For more information see: www.kinatrust.org.nz

The Updated Intoxication Assessment Tool is now available.

The Intoxication Assessment Tool (A6 card and A4 poster) has been updated since its initial release in January of this year. The minor changes will improve ease of use and align the tool more closely to police procedures, says the Health Promotion Agency (HPA) Principal Advisor Drinking Environments, Mark Lyne.

“The two main changes include clarification that the indicators are ‘not limited’ to those listed on the tool when assessing whether a person is intoxicated or not, and ‘affected’ has been replaced by ‘influenced’ as one of the three outcomes of the assessment. These changes improve the assessment of a person who may be ‘influenced’ by alcohol but not ‘intoxicated’ and therefore provide clearer guidance on when to intervene,” he says.

Copies are now available. They can be ordered online at www.alac.org.nz/research-resources/order-publications-resources-signs

The tool was developed to assist bar staff in their management of intoxication in their bars as well as for regulatory agencies in their monitoring and enforcement roles. Having the same tool available for all to use should improve consistency in their approach as well as reduce intoxication in licensed premises, Mark says.

Conference: The Cutting Edge

Organisers:
The Addiction Practitioners’ Association, Aotearoa-New Zealand (DAPAANZ).

Conference description
Sponsored by the HPA, this year’s conference theme is ‘Crossing the Boarder – a broader view of addiction’. 

When: 12 – 14th September 2013

Where: Rotorua, New Zealand

Venue:
Rotorua Convention Centre
1170 Fenton Street
Rotorua 3010.

Cost: Various. See www.cuttingedge.org.nz

More information: www.cuttingedge.org.nz

Conference: First International Conference on Prevention of FASD.

Organisers: Institute of Health Economics, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

Conference description
A conference about preventing harm from alcohol use during pregnancy. This is the first international conference to address the primary, secondary and tertiary prevention of FASD.

When: 23-25 Sept 2013

Where: Edmonton, Canada.

Venue:
Shaw Conference Centre
Jasper Avenue and 97th Street, Edmonton.

Cost: Various.

More information: www.fasdedmonton2013.ca/fasd-prevention