Saturday, 6th September 2008
Social welfare head criticises energy drink adverts
Joe Gerada (centre) with Skola Sajf 2008 participants.
The chief executive officer of the Foundation for Social Welfare Services, Joe Gerada, said it is regrettable that importers of beverages such as the Cocaine, an energy drink, are allowed to place adverts that neutralise the good work that teachers and Sedqa carry out to educate child-ren against drug misuse.
Mr Gerada said Sedqa will continue to object to the marketing of drinks that carry names that have connotations of illegal drugs.
He said people involved in such an activity should be ashamed of themselves.
Mr Gerada was speaking at a Sedqa event during which certificates were presented to over 500 primary schoolchildren who this summer participated in Sedqa's programmes held by the agency's prevention services as part of Skola Sajf 2008, in collaboration with the Education Department.
This is the eighth consecutive year in which Sedqa is taking part in Skola Sajf. This programme was delivered in eight schools between July and September. Topics covered were family, school, friends and internet addiction.
The participating primary schools this year were Birkirkara, Siġġiewi, Żebbuġ, Rabat, Naxxar, Mosta, Attard and Santa Venera.
For more information on Sedqa's prevention programmes, one can contact the Prevention Team on 2388 5110 or visit the agency's website www.sedqa. gov.mt.
Sedqa is part of the Foundation for Social Welfare Services, which also incorporates Aġenzija Appoġġ (www.appogg.gov.mt) and Aġenzija Sapport (www.sapport.gov.mt).
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Comments
On this issue I have to point out that Sedqa is off the ball. I am totally concerned that instead of fighting the drug problem, Mr.Gerada's policies are undermining the right of expression and even worse discriminating between one product and another. By EU Laws any product on the market has the right to advertise irrelevant to its name & material.
It is stupid if we try to deal the drug problem in a "scrabble" way & not teaching in an effective modern way our generations. It is ridiculous to aim a harsh campaign against a product entitled Cocaine Energy Drink with the fear that it pushes youths to drug usage... then what kind of lessons is Sedqa giving if the agency itself is sceptic that its students are not capable to distinguish a drug from an energy drink?!
Lets tackle the problem directly on field & update ourselves as an EU member state!