Lahti raises awareness about substance abuse with new campaign

The City of All campaign will delve into the themes of drug use, urban safety, and wellbeing

On 20 September, the Finnish City of Lahti revealed the launch of a substance abuse awareness campaign, “City of All”. From 23 September until 1 October, Lahti’s residents will have the opportunity to take part in a variety of activities and events exploring the themes of drug use, urban safety, and wellbeing.

According to a press release by Lahti, individuals are often afraid of encountering drug use in public spaces and the city’s streets. Therefore, the aim of the City of All campaign is to increase people’s understanding of substance abuse and the factors behind it. Moreover, it seeks to find ways of making citizens feel safer upon encountering drug use in the city.

Coordinator of preventative mental health and substance abuse work Marja Mikola commented on this, noting: “With the City of All campaign, we aim to find solutions and tips on how to meet different people in an urban environment and how we can feel safer than at present […] With the campaign, we also want to stimulate discussion and understanding that we can all fit in the same city.”

A rich programme

The awareness campaign will not only target adults but also teenagers and children. As such, it has a rich programme featuring various interesting events for residents of all ages. The campaign’s opening ceremony will take place on 23 September where the public can find out more about City of All and its goals.  

On 27 September, residents can also participate in a “living library event” at Lahti’s main library. During this event, people will have the opportunity to listen to the stories of experts who will act as “living books”. Speakers will include parents of drug addicts, children born into families struggling with substance abuse, and people who have used drugs, among others.

Lathi’s schools will also participate in the campaign as children from the Harju School will be asked to draw pictures in response to the question: “What does the City of All look like?” Lahti will then publicly display the children’s artworks at an exhibition. In addition to this, students will be able to access videos that discuss the subjects of urban safety, encouraging them to learn about what they can do when they feel scared walking around the city.

The national network for the prevention of substance abuse (EPT Network) has collaborated with various organisations and entrepreneurs to launch the City of All campaign. To view the full list of events and activities included in its programme, visit EPT Network’s website.