Ways to Promote MAAW

Manitobans care about substance use/misuse and addictions.  Take the lead in supporting and promoting the "MAAW: What¡¯s It Mean To You?" theme.

Open the discussion using any of the ideas, suggestions and activities included in this website or communicating in poetry, art, video or essay form in this year's contest. It only takes one person to open the discussion...you can make a difference!

Order some MAAW promotional items from the AFM Library This year's Manitoba Addictions Awareness Week is the "MAAW: What's It Mean To You?" Key Light. Quantities are limited and free. To order MAAW stress balls and other brochures and publications fill out the Resource Order Form.

Once it is completed, please send it to the AFM Library by:

Use some sample public service announcements for:

Schools
Community Use

Use some of the great ideas listed below to open the discussion about substance use/misuse, gambling and addictions!

Amazing Addictions Race
Use the guidelines in the Amazing Race game found in the activities section of this website (www.maaw.mb.ca). Informative, active and fun, this game is modeled after the popular T.V. series. It can be played using small or larger groups. Participants accomplish tasks and face challenges while learning about substance use/misuse, gambling and addictions. Operating as an effective team as they encounter detours, roadblocks and pit-stops!? This game may provide an opportunity to plan and co-ordinate some of the game elements with other organizations in your community. Let the fun begin. . . . .

Twenty Questions
Prepare a questionnaire of twenty questions focusing on alcohol, drugs and gambling. Distribute the questionnaire throughout the school, community or workplace. Collect the entries at the end of the week. Obtain prizes from local businesses. All those who answered 10 questions correctly are eligible for the draw. Hold a special presentation ceremony.

Cover a Wall
Have your group design messages, posters and artwork to get the message out about addiction awareness. Once permission is granted, cover a wall in a public area (restaurant, public office, store, etc. )

Have a Performance Art Show
Invite members of your community to produce posters, poems, songs and stories that speak to the harm done by addictions, or the joys of living a healthy lifestyle. Have an evening when the public is invited to see the art produced. Enter your creations in this year's Healthy Choices contest.

Fatal Vision Kit
Design an obstacle course that participants navigate wearing the impairment goggles. This clearly demonstrated the feelings and level of impairment after a few drinks. Impairment goggles are available to loan from the AFM library 944-6279 or through Manitoba Public Insurance.

Hold a Theatre Workshop
Invite someone who has experience in theatre to lead a group to develop a play about an addiction issue. They will brainstorm scenario ideas, develop a skeleton script, practice acting and more before they are ready for the stage. Plan a special time to present it to the community.

Sponsor a Self-Help or Advocacy Group
Sponsor a self-help or advocacy group in your school or community. Members can support one another in overcoming addictions or raising the level of awareness on issues/concerns around alcohol, tobacco, other drugs and gambling.

Design Your Own Game
Have your group research tobacco prevention and using the facts design a board game. Use a don't start using tobacco pile of cards to make your way around the board and a quit using tobacco pile of cards to make it interesting!

Hold a Button Day
Students could make and wear buttons that promote healthy lifestyles. Buttons could then be traded or mounted on a wall display at the end of the day. Students could be encouraged to participate by entering their name in a draw for a MAAW promotional item or other prize.

Scavenger Hunts
Organize a scavenger hunt promoting healthy activities. Answers to the list of questions could be found at the local recreation or community centers, libraries, parks and health units. All those participating could be entered in a draw for donated prizes.

Organize a Health Fair
Invite health providers (public health nurses, injury prevention, diabetes educators, addiction workers, dental therapists, tobacco educators, mental health workers, dieticians, environmental health officers, healthy baby educators, etc. ) to your facility. Have them bring pamphlets, videos and displays to educate your target group. Gather door prizes to give away throughout the day. Provide participants with passports. Have displayers stamp their visitors passports at each booth and at the end of the day draw lucky passports to win prizes. Serve healthy refreshments, snacks or lunch to attract the crowd.

Role Play
Children and teens need help learning to resist peer pressure and to say "no" to bad ideas. Have them role-play situations in which they might be tempted by harmful addictions and practice ways in which they can resist the pressure.

Teacher In-Service
Plan a teacher in-service day around addictions. Orientate teachers to the various resources that are available to help them teach their class about avoiding addictions (for example, learning about the harm that addictions cause, dealing with peer pressure, finding support to recover from addiction). Stress the need for schools and teachers to provide healthy role models.

Manitoba Addictions Awareness Committee
All rights reserved. Copyright 2001.
Content updated August 2010.

DISCLAIMER: This website provides general information only and is not intended as a substitute for professional advice. Content may not reflect the specific positions of organizations represented on the Manitoba Addictions Awareness Week (MAAW) Committee. Every effort is made to ensure that the information is accurate at the time of posting. The MAAW Committee is not responsible for and may not be in agreement with information provided by other websites that are linked to this site.