Addicted To Life information campaign

The project in brief Source of funding: DG Justice, Drug Prevention and Information Program Target groups: young adults, media, NGOs, state and municipal institutions. Partners: 5 organizations from 4 different European countries Duration: 24 months

The partners Initiative for Health Foundation, Sofia, Bulgaria International Healthcare and Health Insurance Institute, Sofia Bulgaria Actions for Citizenship and Health Education - A.C.C.E.S., Marseille, France Healthy Options Project Skopje - H.O.P.S., Skopje, Macedonia Blue Point Drug Counseling and Outpatient Center, Budapest, Hungary

Context and rationale Amphetamines are among the first as a drug of choice for experimental and recreational drug use in Eastern Europe Experimental and recreational drug users learn on a relatively late stage about risks and harms related to use of stimulants Media have a key role in raising awareness and shaping attitudes among general society Health and social aspects of drug use remain underreported in media

What we aimed at? Increase the collaboration between NGOs and media in the field of amphetamine use Involve media more actively in informing the general society about health and social aspects of amphetamine use Increase knowledge of health journalists about amphetamine use and all associated risks Improve the quality of information about amphetamines and their use in the media Raise awareness among experimental and recreational drug users about the health risks

What was our approach? Work out common information materials in 5 languages Work out media kits and pool useful resources for young journalists from each of the countries Develop a multilanguage web portal as a main communication channel to disseminate the materials Carry out extensive campaign to promote the website and attract the attention of media

The information materials

The website

The information campaign: Media outreach International training for journalists Media contest Manual for media and NGO’s Establishing media partnerships Regular press releases

The manual

Information campaign: I nternet outreach Keeping the website alive Using Google ads Facebook group Chain s for 26th of June Wikipedia Online game communities SEO optimization Media partnerships and banner exchange

Results achieved Up to 40 young journalists from 4 countries trained in health and social aspects related to drug use Up to 200 journalists in 4 countries received information about the project Up to 200 media kits disseminated 16 media partnerships established appears among the first 10 in Google search results, if you type “амфетамини” Following the extensive advertising campaign visits have increased times in the 2 nd half of the project 36 participants with 44 materials, participating in the international media contest

Media outreach: what works? Training and contest – good way to attract journalists attention; Active identifying and outreach of interested journalists Regular press releases on appropriate occasions can lead to more publications Establishing media partnerships

Media outreach: lessons learned It is more easy to work with young journalists in the beginning of their career Media contest or training alone does not stimulate more writing on the topic Contest and training foster healthy and sustainable relationships between NGO’s and media Health and social aspects of drug use might be marginal topic for big national media, but are welcomed in regional and lifestyle media

What works: internet outreach The social networks SE optimization – registration in web directories Banner exchange Wikipedia Chain s

Internet outreach: lessons learned Internet allows replication, scaling-up and extension in time To become highly visible a website needs well planned and implemented advertising campaign Multilanguage site needs active content management and update for each language version Static content cannot attract interest and has high bounce rates

Thank you for your attention! Atanas Rusev, Project coordinator, International Healthcare and Health Insurance Institute