Media plays an important role in transforming behavioral changes and attitudes in the lives of people. This fact is often manipulated, and used as a tool in promoting alcohol, tobacco and other drugs to young people. Recognizing these facts, the Media Programme has formed its role in counteracting the role played by the media in promoting alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs to young people. Therefore, the media programme continued to work with the media stations and media persons towards improving their capacity and increasing their knowledge on their role in prevention.

National Policy on Alcohol and Tobacco

The Media Programme found the year 2006 a challenge as it came to the passing of the bill on the National Authority on Tobacco and Alcohol Act and its implementation after the act came into force on the 01st of December 2006.

The main focus of the Media Programme in the initial period of 2006 was the national policy on alcohol and tobacco, which was challenged by the industries. Activities were conducted to facilitate the passing of the Act. Activities such as the collection of all necessary evidences and information for the legal proceedings and information packages and raising awareness among other organizations and the prevention workers became the priority. Meetings were conducted with opinion leaders such as priests of all religious groups to mobilize their support for the Act. Education booklets were developed, produced and distributed to various agencies and individuals who were considered as the key players and stakeholders in the passing of the Act.

Creating Awareness through news releases

Every month, the print and visual media has been analyzed for information purposes as well as advocacy material. The print media analysis this year has been taken a few formal and more focused on community level advocacy. The analysis was done using the criteria developed by Professor Samarasinghe’s model for community based preventions, so that it can be readily used by the prevention workers to educate how the media works as social learning agents for them.