Canal Communities WHO Alcohol Project set to launch

By Darren J. Prior

Alcohol Forum Ireland (AFI) and the Irish Community Action on Alcohol Network (ICAAN) are one of five successful projects in Ireland funded as part a new WHO-funded €1.5 million drug prevention and education funding scheme.

This scheme supports the strengthening the prevention of drug and alcohol use and associated harms among children and young people in Ireland.

The AFI/ICAAN project, Building SAFER Communities, is based on the World Health Organisations (WHO) SAFER package of high impact policy measures to reduce and prevent alcohol harm.

Over the next three years, the demonstration project will be delivered in 12 communities in Ireland, supported by seven local and regional Drug and Alcohol Task Forces nationally, including three Local Drug and Alcohol Task Forces in Dublin.

The Canal Communities Local Drug & Alcohol Task Force and Canal Communities Regional Addiction Service, who cover the Bluebell, Inchicore and Rialto areas, will be launching the project for their local area on Tuesday 27th May at 10.00 am in St. Andrews Community Centre in Rialto.

Behind the project and event too is a local Building SAFER Steering group with involvement from youth services, academia, local government, An Garda Síochána, alcohol and drug services and local community representatives who will steer the project over the coming years.

According to local steering Committee Chair, Angela King:

“We’re delighted Canal Communities have been selected as part of the Building SAFER Communities: Preventing & Reducing Alcohol Harm project.

“Alcohol in our community has long been identified as an issue. In 2018 Turning Down the Volume, an animated film on density and impact of alcohol sales in Canals Communities and Dublin 12 was developed, which was followed by Turning Down the Volume Workbook in 2022.

“We see this this as a fantastic opportunity for services and communities to work together to build a SAFER place for us all to live.”

Dublin singer songwriter, Paddy Casey and a local community choir will be part of the entertainment line up at the event in St. Andrew’s Community Centre.