1. The Western Cape Government has made alcohol harms reduction a priority issue and one of its game changers in the province.
2. Problem drinking and its associated negative consequences remain a substantial health, social and economic challenge to the province; moreover, manipulative advertising lures our youth into destructive lifestyles, risky behaviour and a distorted sense of identity.
3. The Western Cape alcohol-related harms reduction policy: White Paper, published in August 2017, sets out to address the consequences of alcohol-related harms and calls for a strengthening of the Western Cape Education Department’s (WCED) education and awareness interventions on alcohol harms reduction amongst underage persons.
4. The WCED undertakes to drive an awareness campaign on Alcohol Social Harms Reduction in schools through the subject of Life Orientation at Grade 11 level. This drive aims to counter manipulative advertising messages and thereby inform youth about the alcohol industry’s strategy to entice them into consuming its products.
5. The purpose of the campaign is to strengthen the WCED's efforts in education to secure a positive sense of self, impact on the lives of learner communities, both academically and socially, and at the same time offer youth the opportunity to take ownership for a positive future.
6. In pursuit of this goal, the grade 11 Life Orientation teachers are invited to engage learners in activities that will create an awareness on alcohol social harms, and highlight the deception created by the alcohol industry in an advertisement of choice found on social media platforms and elsewhere. Examples of suggested activities can be found in Annexure A.
7. We encourage Districts to engage schools in identifying/establishing a district focus group which will consist of six grade 11 learners. The focus group will be invited to display or perform their presentation at a Life Orientation Youth Celebration Morning on Saturday, 02 June 2018. This will be in preparation of Youth Month (June 2018) during which the WCED aims to provide the momentum for raising critical awareness for positive education outcomes in the province.
8. The suggestions for displays or performances to raise awareness in schools are outlined in the attached document (Annexure A).
9. The process and requirements for the presentations of focus groups are outlined in the attached document (Annexure B).
10. Principals are kindly requested to bring the contents of this minute to the attention of all the teachers concerned.


SIGNED: PAD BEETS
DEPUTY DIRECTOR-GENERAL: CURRICULUM AND ASSESSMENT MANAGEMENT
DATE: 2018:05:04

Annexure A: Guidelines to raise awareness in schools  (size: 25 KB)
Annexure B: Guidelines for district focus groups  (size: 43 KB)