Location: City of Wolverhampton College Health Fair
Event: Health Event Stand
Awareness topics: Cannabis and Alcohol Awareness
Our longstanding work with the City of Wolverhampton College continued in January, when we were invited to attend their health fair. The two-day event at the Paget Road and Wellington Road campuses was an excellent opportunity for students (and even staff) to get ‘hands on’ with our range of interactive resources, and increase their knowledge on the health issues which affect them.
For this event the focus was cannabis and alcohol awareness.
We were able to advise visitors to the stand about the recent changes in alcoholic unit guidelines to 14 units per week for both men and women. We then had conversations about the impact this would have, and shared ideas on the ways the new guidelines might improve their health and wellbeing. Our units challenge activity was then an ideal way to encourage individuals to ‘test’ their perception of a unit, in order to give some perspective of what the guidelines meant.
Our carbon monoxide testing continues to be popular with smokers and non-smokers alike, and this was no different at the City of Wolverhampton College Health Fair! We have found that this simple testing kit can have a profound impact on smokers as it gives a visual idea of how smoking is affecting them. Many tobacco smokers wanted to be tested before and after smoking to see the levels of carbon monoxide in their body. Even non-smokers who had been near people smoking were tested to appreciate the affect second hand smoke was having. We were then able to discuss with some smokers whether they wanted to stop smoking, and advise them that No Smoking Day was not far away on 9th March – a perfect reason to quit!
As well as the carbon monoxide testing, which demonstrated how cannabis smoking can impact carbon monoxide levels in the body, we also took along our drug impairment goggles and ‘drug hands’ to further emphasis the ways cannabis can affect the individual. By challenging visitors to the the stand to perform a simple task whilst wearing the goggles and hands, such as writing their name or high-fiving another student, it illustrated the impact drug use can have on what could be considered even the easiest of undertakings.
For the small cost of £30 per event, our Development Officers can deliver this event at your school, college or university across the West Midlands and North West. If you feel that your students would benefit from having the knowledge to make safe and healthy life choices, then get in touch today. We look forward to working with you!