Monday 12 November 2012

Drinkers urged to ‘plot their night’ to avoid drink driving

Christchurch City Council, in partnership with Police and NZTA, aims to decrease the number of crashes involving our youth and alcohol with a road safety campaign called Plan ahead – plot your night to avoid drink driving.

In an interesting twist on last year’s similar and successful campaign, this year the message will be on mirrors in bars as well as posters and coasters. The adverts refer to items of pop culture such as vampires and the Candyman horror flick to appeal to the 18-24 year olds moving from bar to bar when on a night out.

The key message to plan ahead is supported by other reminders to have a back-up plan if their sober driver is no longer sober, have extra cash for a taxi ride home, to go out with friends they trust who will look out for them and to encourage them to stand up and say ‘No’ to catching a ride with someone they think may have been drinking.

“We are hopeful that our young people will engage with the messages and seriously think about not taking chances,” says Sarah Numan, Unit Manager Business Support. “We know youths often act impulsively and don’t mean to get themselves into trouble, but after a few drinks their reasoning is impaired – so we are asking them to plan ahead – before they go out drinking to plot how they are going to get home be it a sober driver or a taxi.”

Mayor Bob Parker wants all Cantabrians to be safe and enjoy all the attractions Christchurch has to offer. “But when drinking we all need a reminder to be safe and organise an alternative way home so we don’t end up drink driving. This campaign is unique and creative also includes wallet cards that our young people can take and keep that have taxi numbers and other useful information. Enjoy your night out, but, as the tagline says, plan ahead to avoid drink driving.”

Another aspect of the campaign targets youths at bottle stores – the same messages have been printed onto carry-bags handed out at the point of sale.

The campaign is being promoted in the suburbs of Addington, Merivale, Hornby and Riccarton as these are the areas where there are currently a lot of young people drinking.

It is running during Cup and Show week, over the Christmas period and through into Student orientation.

For more information visit www.ccc.govt.nz and search for drink driving.

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Gordon Campbell: On Failures Of Care For Those With Mental Disabilities

Hard to imagine a more disturbing insight into the treatment of the vulnerable than the Health Ministry report on Te Roopu Taurima o Manukau. The Ministry has found that the country’s only kaupapa Maori intellectual disability residential care provider has been “seriously dysfunctional.”

The ministry says the business has failed to recruit and retain quality staff – and says the kaimahi (caregivers) that have been employed are seriously unsuitable for the job, lacking basic knowledge. But Te Roopu Taurima o Manukau doesn’t get all the blame. The report says there’s a significant gap under disability laws to ensure there’s oversight by qualified clinical professionals. More>>