Alcohol-free month campaign to benefit Odyssey House

Alcohol-free month campaign to benefit Odyssey House

Drug Foundation media release, 19 January 2011

Kiwis are being challenged to go without alcohol for a month and Auckland-based addiction treatment centre Odyssey House stands to benefit.

Amplify!, Odyssey House’s school-based intervention programme, assists youth at risk of alcohol and drugs. It will receive some of the funds raised by the FebFast challenge, which will see participating Kiwis give up the grog during February.

FebFasters register online; then friends and family sponsor them to remain alcohol-free for the month by donating through the participant’s personalised fund-raising page.

Amplify! uses youth-friendly techniques like song writing, dance, and text messaging to help young people reach their potential and their goals.

Odyssey House CEO, Christine Kalin, says the programme, which runs in eight Auckland schools, has helped hundreds of at-risk students.

“Participants have reduced their substance abuse, are more likely to remain at school and less likely to engage in anti-social behaviour like drug dealing, violence, and bullying. They improve their relationships with their families and say they feel happier and calmer since participating.

“Early intervention and treatment in schools is a cost-efficient approach to drug abuse prevention in New Zealand. Our dream is that every school in the country is able to offer this programme.”

She says she’s delighted Amplify! has been chosen to receive funds from FebFast 2011.

“Young people and school staff are universally positive about the service. In fact, the main complaint has been that there are not enough sessions available in schools so, hopefully, FebFast will enable us to expand it.”

This will be New Zealand’s first year for FebFast, which is hosted by the Drug Foundation. It’s been running in Australia since 2008, where more than 10,700 FebFasters have raised over $1.7 million for youth and drug services.

For more information about FebFast and to register, go to www.febfast.org.nz .

ENDS

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