Author Archives: Adriana Brenda Adom

We Care Foundation founded in 2021 in Ghana is an advocate against alcohol consumption. We work to raise awareness on the critical effects of alcohol consumption on the health of the consumer. We also educate persons with addictions and providing therapeutic solutions for them.



•Tag-line: …because life is a terrible thing to waste!

•Vision: To see a world where everyone is living free of alcohol abuse.

•Mission: To protect and reduce alcoholics world wide.

•Foundation Colors: Blue-black and white

•BACKGROUND OF STUDY:
Alcohol is a drug classed as a sedative due to it’s depressant properties. There are various types of alcohol, however, ethyl is the only alcohol used in beverages. Alcohol affect every organ in the body. The effect of alcohol depend on the blood concentration over time. Depending on the fermentation process, the alcohol content in the beverage will differ and range from very low (1%) to very high (80%+). Our area of focus is on alcohol consumption in Ghana amongst students and the problems associated with it.The increased rate of alcohol related health problems is alarming! Alcohol misuse remains one of the topmost significant public health problems irrespective of the active efforts made to solve it. According to the World Health Organization, around 3 million deaths are related to harmful use of alcohol world wide per year. Alcohol consumption is associated with many diseases such as several types of cancers and cardiovascular diseases. In 2016, alcohol misuse was related to some 3 million deaths (5.3% of all deaths) globally and 132.6 million disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), that is, 5.1% of all DALYs in that year. Deaths related to alcohol misuse are higher than those related to other diseases such as tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, and diabetes. Alcohol reduces concentration. Limbs take more to react to the instructions of the brain. It also blurs vision due to dizziness. All these factors while studying can cause a low output during academic exercises for students because for every increase of 0.05 blood alcohol concentration, the risk of a likely accident/mistake doubles. This affects the skills and concentration necessary for output. Alcohol remains one of the topical substances that are abused by people before they progress to the use of more hazardous substances such as marijuana and cocaine.



•PROBLEM STATEMENT: Today, alcohol is widely consumed to help people relax in social situations. While moderate consumption of alcohol should not be a cause for concern, it is a highly addictive substance that can result in various health complications amongst the active population of which students are a larger faction. Advertising firms are portraying alcohol in positive light to encourage people to purchase and consume more alcohol.Alcohol is a depressant drug that can cause anxiety and increase stress. Alcohol can negatively affect thoughts, feelings and actions, and contribute to the development of, or worsen, existing mental health issues over time. Using counter advertisement, we aim to persuade about 60% of alcohol consumers to reduce their alcohol intake. This will go a long way to enhance students educational success and reduce violence and health related issues amongst students.

•POPULATION SAMPLE:
According to the Ghanaian constitution, the legal age for alcohol consumers is 18+. Hence, our population is, Ghanaian students within the ages of 18-45. Specifically, tertiary students.

OBJECTIVES:
•To generate action in 60% of student alcoholics to reduce half their intake within a month in 6 months.
•To sensitize 80% of student alcohol consumers on the dire effects the substance has on their actions and thoughts.
•To encourage 100% of tertiary students not to drink at all or drink in moderation.

METHODOLOGY:
•Pre-production: We visited the Ghana Institute Of Journalism, Osu campus and interviewed twenty-five (25) students about their take on alcohol consumption as students. We sought answers to the questions; Why do they consume alcohol? and What effects of alcohol they are aware of? While on the field, we took pictures with some of the interviewees.


BUDGET:
•PRE-PRODUCTION:

•ITEM DESCRIPTION
•QUANTITY
•TOTAL





•Field trip, transportation and feeding.
30*9:
GH₵ 270.00

•Research Data
1* GH₵ 20.00:
GH₵ 20.00



•PRODUCTON:

•ITEM DESCRIPTION
•QUANTITY
•TOTAL



•Digital Bill Board (6ft*12)
6
GH₵ 350,000.00

•Social Media Promotions
6 months
GH₵ 3000.00

•Video ad cost
1
GH₵ 800.00


•GRAND TOTAL:

GH₵ 354, 090.00

POST PRODUCTION.
•Our Promotional Strategy Will Be Executed Through:
Social media using images, videos and the hashtag #ProtectYourOrgans to promote the campaign. We will also use of other promotional hashtags on social media thus, #drinkcautiously #NonAlcoholicWithPride. This hashtag will be promoted on all social media platforms for six(6) months.
•The placement of advert on LED digital billboards positioned strategically along the major roads in Accra for six(6). We are targeting the 37 military hospital, Danquah circle, Airport Shell, Osu oxford street, Spanner, Spintex road and the James town light house.
•We will also curate creative and informative content on our blogs and online media.


REFERENCES:

•WHO, Global Status Report on Alcohol and Health 2018, World Health Organisation, Geneva, Switzerland, 2018.

•GDHS, Ghana Demographic and Health Survey, Accra: Ghana Statistical Service, Accra, Ghana, 2008.

More

Alcohol consumption, particularly heavy drinking, is a significant risk factor for many health problems and as such, contributes significantly to the global disease burden. In fact, alcohol is a necessary underlying cause of over 30 conditions, as well as a contributing factor in many more.
Infectious diseases, cancer, diabetes, neuropsychiatric diseases (including alcohol use disorders), cardiovascular disease, liver and pancreas disease, and unintentional and intentional injury are the most common disease categories caused entirely or partially by alcohol consumption.
In addition to the disease risks that affect the drinker, alcohol consumption can harm the health of others and cause social harm to both the drinker and others. These findings highlight the importance of developing effective prevention efforts to reduce the pain and suffering caused by excessive drinking, as well as the associated costs.

In an interview with some students of Ghana Institute of Journalism, they spoke of the reasons why the consumed alcohol.
John, a student drinker revealed that he drunk because he didn’t want to feel odd among his friends, although he experiences headaches and does not become responsible during those moment; he believe fitting in is much better than not consuming alcohol at all. Others also, spoke of not being able to attend classes the next day after drinking since they do not feel better enough to participate in class activities.
Recent news in most of our social media platforms are of people soliciting for funds as a result of liver diseases, which is a common disease associated with drinking alcohol. Although there has been the increase in alcohol related effects on our health people still consume it.
Alcohol use has been identified as a significant risk factor for illness, disability, and death (Rehm et al. 2009b).
According to the World Health Organization’s (WHO) most recent comparative risk assessment, on the negative impact of alcohol consumption on the global burden of disease and injury was exceeded not only by unsafe sex and childhood underweight status, but also by tobacco use. It outperformed many traditional risk factors such as unsafe water and sanitation, hypertension, high cholesterol, and tobacco use (WHO 2009).Alcohol consumption comes at a high price for the drinker, those around him or her, and society as a whole. These costs are the result of increased health risks (both physical and mental) associated with alcohol consumption, as well as the social harms caused by alcohol.

To lessen the impact of alcohol on disease burden as well as other social, legal, and financial costs, it is therefore critical to develop effective interventions that can prevent or postpone the initiation of drinking among those who do not drink, particularly adolescents, and limit consumption to low-risk drinking levels among those who do drink. This will be done through an alcohol counter advertising by showing individual what it actually means to drink as it may go a long way to help them minimize their intake of alcohol if not stopping completely.

SALAMATU NASSAM-BACS21548