Local President of JCI Barbados, Janet Taylor (right back row); Edwin Yearwood’s Manager, Ingrid Holder (fourth from right); Board member of the NCSA, Kevon Henry (centre) with management and staff of the National Council on Substance (NCSA) during Monday’s launch of the ‘Tek It Easy’ campaign.
NCSA: ‘Tek It Easy’
The National Council on Substance Abuse (NCSA) is encouraging Barbadians to ‘Tek It Easy’ this Crop Over season.
They will be doing so through their six week media campaign which was launched on Monday, July 1st at the NCSA’s headquarters.
NCSA’s Deputy Manager, Troy Wickham said through the initiative the organisation will be reminding both locals and visitors to make wise choices, especially relating to alcohol use and abuse.
“Summer is one of the most festive periods in Barbados. History has shown us that during this period persons tend to indulge in the consumption of more substances than usual, especially alcohol. With that being said, we have decided to have a greater presence out there spreading the word to encourage the population to make wise choices while having fun. These choices include continuous promotion of responsible alcohol drinking and designated driving, sharing safety practices to prevent drunk driving and the promotion of safe sex during the Crop Over season.”
Wickham further stated that the NCSA has partnered with entertainer, Edwin Yearwood and the Junior Chambers International (JCI) Barbados for the campaign. Yearwood has composed the theme song, ‘Tek It Easy’. Meanwhile, NCSA will be teaming up with JCI for their Safe and Sober Campaign where they set up ‘Safe Zones’ at various Crop Over events offering patrons an area where they can have non-alcoholic beverages and snacks as well as cool down before leaving the event.
Adding to the Deputy Manager’s remarks, Board Member, Kevon Henry explained the NCSA in July will have radio shows twice weekly, one on 98.1 FM and the other on HOTT 95.3 FM. Concurrently, NCSA will roll out their social media campaign on the agency’s Instagram, YouTube and Facebook platforms to raise awareness about alcohol use and abuse.
Speaking on behalf of Edwin Yearwood, Manager, Ingrid Holder said he was pleased to work with the NCSA for this campaign.
“We will do what we can to spread the message of taking it easy this Crop Over. Not only for Crop Over but for every festive season we have here on the island and we are encouraging all our visitors of course, to ‘Tek It Easy’ as well,
while they are participating in our Crop Over and having a good time.”