Projeto Noite Saudável das cidades do Centro de Portugal
Abstract
“Healthy Nightlife in Cities of the Centre of Portugal” is a pilot project for the constitution of a regional network for the promotion of healthy nightlife. It aims the strengthening of capacities among the actors involved in education, lifelong learning, training, recreational business and public policies, through the establishment of local agreements that promote healthier habits.
Its main goal is to increase security and quality of life in recreational nightlife settings of the cities of Portugal’s central region, specifically 21 municipalities (population 2.250.149).
This Project, is financed by the Commission for the Coordination of Regional Development for Centro Region, through “Centro 2020 Program” and has the duration of three years, from May 2018 to April 2021, and is scientifically coordinated by the Centre for Prevention and Treatment of Psychogenic Trauma (CPTTP) – Department of Psychiatry – of the Coimbra Hospital and University Centre (CHUC) – and by the European Institute of Studies on Prevention (IREFREA Portugal). From its very beginning, the Project has the support of different organizations, from the Portuguese Government and other public and private entities.
The activities to be carried out have the intention of implement awareness and counselling actions for young people and their families, capacitation activities directed at agents of public and private organizations with responsibility in the areas of intervention of this project and information campaigns and awareness actions directed at different publics.
The implementation of this project will address, among others, the following aims:
To promote risk-free fun and to reduce alcohol related-harm among young people that attend university festivities and youth festivals;
To train Nightlife settings Staff by using strategies to resolve different risk situations in recreational settings (e.g. interpersonal communication, conflict management, first aid);
To increase media literacy about the issues addressed by the Project and define the best practices to disseminate information;
To promote skills that may contribute to healthy lifestyles and prevent vulnerabilities and develop cooperation and individual/group responsibility among young people, through Sports, Theatre forum methodology and Music;
Collaborate with police officers (GNR and PSP) to give information and training in different aspects;
To evaluate legislation and public policies to tackle violence and evaluate local and regional mechanisms to tackle violence;
To implement intervention guidelines about the role of school in prevention of interpersonal violence;
To capacitate health professionals and awareness actions among general public about young people’s reproductive and mental health;
To capacitate groups of parents/guardians about young people’s health and security in nightlife recreation settings;
To award with a “Quality Label” the recreational spaces when they have the required conditions and their professionals have attended capacitation activities;
To capacitate groups of volunteers so they can support the implementation of the activities;
To approach education about legal and illegal drugs and other addictions using teachers, parents and other agents related with education capacitation;
To evaluate problems and needs, protective and risk factors, taking a public health approach and using a network strategy (multidisciplinary/multisectoral).