Promoting Drug Awareness among Young People
According to a survey about ‘Drug Use, Smoking and Drinking among young people in England 2007’ (NHS, 2007), it is revealed that:
- 25% of students had ever taken drugs, when 29% of pupils reported that they had ever taken drugs.
- Students were reported to have got the first drugs from a friend of the same age. The most reason they gave was ‘To see what they were like’. 43% of students revealed that drug was equally likely something that makes them feel ‘good’, while 44% said that they felt ‘no different’.
- 63% of pupils who have used drugs once were more likely to describe it as having a good experience rather than a bad one or indifferent one.
The main aim of Promoting Drug Awareness among Young People is to provide a community-based centre for people, living in Wicklow as well as a rehabilitation centre for those who are methadone stable and/or drug free. Participants will be motivated to engage with staff in a supported and a safe environment to access information, education, life skills and vocational training.
This seeks to provide a progression path to support young people from deterioration and move forward to achieve their potential as members of their families, community and society as a whole.
Objectives
- To give a community-based service to the people / residents of Co Wicklow
- To work with drug-free and methadone stable people in a supportive, safe and friendly environment by providing structured day programs to provide stability within participant’s lives.
- To help participant’s address their drug issues and remain stable or drug free.
- To provide information, education and vocational training opportunities and assist participants in progressing towards further education and supported employment.
- To provide training on life, work skills and promote personal development opportunities to young people, so that they have something to do and think about, and do not get involved with drugs.
Project management
Initiation
- consultation process with stakeholders (including LDTF, Families, young people, other services in the area and elsewhere);
- a needs analysis, identifying the particular niche for the service (i.e. ensuring that it compliments, links in with and does not duplicate existing services);
Development
- Draw up detailed Project Plan,- with clear goals
- Appoint key Team Members
- Establish Budget
Implemenation
- Set Up (Organise / Communicate)
- Motivate Team
- Detail Requirements
- Establish Information Control Systems
Evaluate
Analyse quantitive data
Positioning Strategy: Drug awareness together with skills and vocational training programs can prevent young people from getting involved with drug as well as providing them with useful knowledge and skills.
Product Management: Provide advice to help young people assess their drug issues. Inform them of available training and development programs that might meet their interest. Conduct a research to examine programs and activities that could be in the interest of youngsters. Use advertising campaign to acknowledge participants about new activities and programs.
Marketing Communications: Create an advertising campaign to build program awareness. After participants attend training programs, new skills will be showcased through several activities, such as arts display and talent events to generate publicity and media coverage.
Market Research: Program awareness should be measured before, during and after marketing communication campaigns to examine satisfaction of youngsters and identify opportunities for future programme development.
This is a 3-year project, with a budget of €70,000. 10 percent of this budget will be kept aside as contingency reserve which is a pool of funds to cover the costs of any risk event, while 90 percent of the budget (€63,000) will be used to complete the planned activities.
First half of 1st year: Invest €11,000 in, newspaper and radio advertising to excite the public and the targeted customers about the program as well as informing them about available education, training and development programs and activities which will be launched the following month.
Second half of 1st year: Invest €9,000 for printed media (advertising), displaying them at the train stations, schools, shopping malls and retail stores.
First half of 2nd year: Spend €10,000 to organise ‘Fresh Talents’ event (public relations) which is an event that participants can showcase their skills and talents after attending training programs. This will help increase program awareness, attention and recognition among the target markets.
Second half of 2nd year: Inject €10,000 to conduct a research to investigate the response of young people toward the program. ( can also be done internally)
First half of 3rd year: Invest €13,000 to implement and develop programme accordingly to the customer research findings.
Second half of 3rd year: Spend €10,000 to report outcomes of the program and what it has achieved so far. Promote new program development that may be launched or introduced in the future.
Have at least 15 youngsters to attend each program and activity under the project of Drug Awareness among Young People. At the end of the first year, each program should have at least 80 participants.
In the second year, follow up the benefit of Drug Awareness among Young People project to find out the contribution of the program to youngsters’ lives. This can be done by interviewing 50% of participants. The interview aims to find out how participants use and apply skills and knowledge they have learned to benefit them in any way.
At the end of the third year, generate 90% program awareness among youngsters aged between 15 and 21 year-old. This can be achieved by conducting a recognition and awareness research.
In the case of unexpected events, emergency reserve of 10% is ready for any implementation.