.jpg?crop=0,4,630,412 "National victory “colorful instead of blue”: Berlin schoolgirl wins DAK competition against …")
DAK health
Hamburg (ots)
The national winner 2023 of “colorful instead of blue – art against binge drinking” comes from Berlin: Linda Brandt wins the nationwide DAK poster competition. This year, more than 7,000 schoolchildren took part in the DAK-Gesundheit’s prevention campaign on the subject of alcohol abuse. Federal patron is Burkhard Blienert, the Federal Government Commissioner for Addiction and Drug Issues. The awards were ceremoniously presented on June 1st in Berlin. Since the start of “colorful instead of blue” in 2010, a total of almost 130,000 schoolchildren between the ages of twelve and 17 have designed creative posters against excessive binge drinking. According to the latest figures from the child and youth report by DAK-Gesundheit, significantly fewer girls and boys with alcohol poisoning were hospitalized in 2022 than in the previous year.
“The national winner’s poster is pointed and impressively sets the scene for the message ‘colorful instead of blue’. It’s about the turning point in a girl’s life. One face is dark, desperate and lost in alcohol intoxication, the other colorful, full of life and sober. Those who give up alcohol and literally turn their lives upside down can become a role model for others,” says Andreas Storm, CEO of DAK-Gesundheit, praising the national winner’s poster. Together with the Federal Government Commissioner for Addiction and Drug Issues Burkhard Blienert and Prof. Reiner Hanewinkel, Institute Director of IFT-Nord, Storm chose the first places in the federal jury.
Current figures from the DAK child and youth report show that in 2022 significantly fewer young people had to be treated in clinics for abusive alcohol consumption. Compared to the previous year, the numbers in 2022 in the 15 to 17 age group fell by ten percent – compared to the pre-Corona year by as much as 41 percent. Extrapolated in 2022, 7,800 young people between the ages of 15 and 17 had to be treated in hospitals because of alcohol abuse. In 2019 there were still around 13,400 young patients.
“The decline in hospital admissions in the area of alcohol abuse is gratifying. It shows that prevention initiatives such as ‘colorful instead of blue’ can have a positive effect. But we haven’t reached our goal yet. Because many young people still drink until the doctor comes,” he said Storm. “‘Colorful instead of blue’ encourages schoolchildren to question their use of alcohol. The prevention campaign relies on communication at eye level. That makes ‘colorful instead of blue’ so effective and valuable.”
“It’s gratifying that fewer young people drink alcohol until they drop,” says Burkhard Blienert, the federal government commissioner for addiction and drug issues. “But to ensure that it stays that way, we must continue to provide intensive information about alcohol and its effects on frequent and excessive consumption, especially among children and young people. ‘Colorful instead of blue’ is absolutely the right format for this. The prevention campaign communicates to children and young people in a special way Knowledge of how you deal with alcohol and that of friends or parents. And without pointing fingers. I wish there would be a much broader debate about the much too liberal treatment of alcohol in Germany. Because 14-year-olds in the presence of their parents beer, wine or allowed to drink even harder things is the absolutely wrong signal for me.”
With the national victory, 17-year-old Linda Brandt from Berlin can look forward to the main prize of 500 euros. “First and foremost, I wanted to design an aesthetic poster with my picture, which would attract people’s attention and thus stimulate them to think further. The two halves of the picture show the strong contrast between a life with and without excessive alcohol consumption,” says the national winner, describing her poster idea . Second place goes to 13-year-old Jamina Tasdemir from Bremen. Brandenburg wins bronze this year: Marla Olck from Königs Wusterhausen takes third place. The special prize in the “Young Talents” category goes to Luisa Fuchs and Sophie Schuljak from Isernhagen in Lower Saxony. Baden-Württemberg is ahead in the “Instagram” special prize: Julia-Tosca Schuler convinced the federal jury here.
“I am pleased to see how many children and young people have dealt with the important topic of alcohol abuse and designed creative posters this year,” says DAK boss Storm. “I would like to thank all the students throughout Germany who were active in ‘colorful instead of blue’ this year.”
The prevention campaign “colorful instead of blue” is integrated into the “Clarious Campaign” of the IFT-Nord, with which the DAK-Gesundheit also informs teachers and parents about the subject of alcohol. With tailor-made teaching materials, the subject of alcohol abuse is addressed by teachers before the design of the posters begins. As a result, “colorful instead of blue” has a very positive effect. “Studies show that after participating in ‘colorful instead of blue’, the students are more aware of the topic of alcohol,” says Prof. Reiner Hanewinkel from IFT-Nord. “Initiating a creative process is very effective for prevention.”
The fourteenth round of “colorful instead of blue” ends with the national award ceremony in 2023. As in previous years, state winners were first chosen in the federal states. The federal jury selected the best posters from these images. An overview of all national winners and also the state winners can be found at dak.de/buntstattblau.
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Original content from: DAK-Gesundheit, transmitted by news aktuell