BUZZ Anti-Drugs Campaign ‘05
In July, August and September of 2005, a large and extremely unique anti-drugs campaign was carried out in the whole Borough of Limavady using outputs from Verbal Arts Centre’s BUZZ Programme.  The campaign took the form of many different posters with anti-drugs messages as well as drink spiking awareness cards which were placed in as many public venues as possible such as bars, hotels, youth centres, etc.  The variety of materials used were the results of hard work by over 50 young people who have participated in the Verbal Arts Centre’s BUZZ Programme since its inception in January of 2004.  The young people who produced the posters are pupils of St. Mary’s High School in Limavady, Limavady High School and St. Patrick’s College in Dungiven.  The drink spiking awareness cards were produced by young people in the Limavady Educational Alternative Provision (LEAP) as part of the BUZZ Programme. 

BUZZ Programme Co-ordinator, Cynthia Browne, explained how the campaign transpired, “Whilst the materials have been in circulation in counties Derry, Tyrone and Fermanagh to some degree over the last year, this particular campaign is on a much more substantial and intensive scale within Limavady Borough due to sponsorship from Limavady’s DPP and distribution to all suitable venues by various organisations, predominantly the Vintner’s Association.  Without the assistance of these groups, this campaign would not be happening on this scale.

During the months of July, September and August of ’05, whenever people go into bars, hotels, off-licenses, youth centres, in fact, many public venues from Greysteel to Magilligan to Dungiven, they will see several posters displayed which have powerful and hard-hitting messages about drugs.  We feel it’s important that all the hard work by the young people involved in the production of these posters is utilised to its fullest.  The designs are excellent in that they are immediately eye-catching and attractive and the thinking behind each one of them is from a young person’s point of view therefore their appeal couldn’t be more appropriate.  Although, in many cases, the posters have been conceived and designed by children as young as 11 years of age, the messages portrayed in them are to-the-point, powerful and hard-hitting with nothing held back......" 


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