The Institut Suchtprävention, pro mente Oberösterreich, is one of 11 project partners. The municipalities Linz and Bad Ischl are participating in Localize It!
In January, the Institut Suchtprävention has published a press release about their two Localize It-locations (You can find the original version in German here.):
“A good wine for dinner, a cool beer while talking to the neighbor, a glass of prosecco at a celebration: Alcohol is part of our culture and for most people in Austria, alcohol is associated with indulgence and celebration. However, some people develop a high-risk or problematic consumption pattern which can have far-reaching consequences, for the consumers themselves but also for their social surrounding and the society.
Besides the individual health hazards, the municipalities are the ones that have to pay for side effects like broken littering on playgrounds, demolished bus shelters, noise pollution and brawls, traffic accidents and police operations – just to name some of them.
For the municipalities, it is a challenge to find the right balance between indulgence or celebrations on the one hand and the aim of reducing negative side effects to a minimum on the other. Several actors in the municipalities already work towards this balance. Individual schools and associations or sport clubs are often active in this field, too. However, a common strategy entailing a cooperation of all relevant actors in order to identify problems and to find common solutions is almost always missing.
Against this background, Localize It! aims to join forces and to jointly take action against alcohol-related harms.”
From the rigth: Health Advisor for the city of Linz Detlef Wimmer, city councillor Brigitte Platzer, Christoph Lagemann from the Institut Suchtprävention and Dr. Dietmar Nemeth, director of the area health and Sports of the City of Linz
Photo credit: City of Linz.