Love me…..Love me not. Camden teens say drugs can make you boring and unpopular

15/02/07

CAMDEN teenagers delivered Valentine’s Day treats with a twist this year to spread the message that drugs can do serious damage to your love life.

This was part of a campaign to raise awareness of substance misuse and sexual health.

Specially trained groups of young people hit the streets to hand out Valentine cards and sweets with slogans such as ‘drugs can make you boring and unpopular’.

They also contained information on drug misuse and sexual health and details of where to go for help, including FRANK, the government’s free drugs helpline and website.

Camden Council’s Drug Action Team along with Fitzrovia Youth in Action led the ‘Love FRANK’ campaign. The Camden Primary Care Trust also made the Camden Health Bus available to reach young people at various locations across Camden throughout February.

Fitzrovia Youth in Action has been commissioned by Camden Council, as part of their substance misuse youth participation work, to co-ordinate the FRANK campaigns in partnership with Camden Drug Action Team. So far, they have successfully recruited and trained 48 Camden young people who form the Camden FRANK Street Marketing Team (SMT).

Cllr John Bryant, Camden Council’s Executive Member for Children, said:

“It's no use politicians of my generation preaching to young people about the importance of rejecting drugs and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. It is far more powerful when these messages come from their peers."

“Valentine’s Day can be an important occasion for all teenagers. We hope this campaign will press home the important message that drugs cause serious – sometimes irrevocable – damage to both social lives and health.”

Donovan Wagner, Drugs Participation Worker at Fitzrovia Youth in Action, said:

“This campaign is a great way to raise awareness about drugs amongst young people in a fun and engaging way. Young people often think that using drugs will make them more popular, when in reality drugs can have a negative effect on your social life and relationships.”

Fitzrovia Youth in Action SMT member Ricky Maginnis, 17, said:

“The FRANK campaign is a good way of showing young people that there’s free confidential help out there.

“Young people are more likely to listen to one of their peers as we know what it’s like to be young and have grown up with drugs all around us.”

Research and experience has shown that young people, and vulnerable young people in particular, are more likely to accept information from their peers and from people they trust than through ‘top down’ communication.

The Valentine’s Day street marketing campaign also marks the start of an extensive drug peer education programme that Fitzrovia Youth in Action is co-ordinating with partner organisations in Camden.

Members from Fitzrovia Youth in Action, New Horizon Youth Centre and West Euston Integrated Youth Project have just completed a 12-week training course to deliver this peer-to-peer campaign. Over the next six months, they will be providing information and advice about drugs to young people at youth clubs and schools throughout Camden.

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