Cope Magazine Shares the Voices of Saskatchewan Youth

A new youth magazine is released during Saskatchewan Addictions Awareness Week (November 14-20, 2016)

The Youth Action for Prevention Program (YAP), a program at the Saskatchewan Prevention Institute, is launching Cope Magazine on November 15, 2016.

Cope shares the voices of Saskatchewan young people and how they cope with challenges in their lives. Róisín Unsworth, Project Coordinator, shares “Our aim is that youth throughout the province will connect with other young people’s experiences, feel supported, and learn about healthy ways of coping with difficulties in their lives.”

Youth in Saskatchewan begin using alcohol and drugs at a young age. 

Research tells us that 46% of youth (grades 7 and older) report alcohol use, and 77% of youth who consume alcohol report binge drinking (Propel Centre for Population Health Impact, 2014). Binge drinking refers to consuming 3 or more drinks for females and 4 or more for males on a single occasion.

Róisín explains, “Young people go through a lot of changes and challenges that can lead them to using alcohol and drugs to ease stress and provide temporary relief.” This magazine explores these experiences from the voices of youth. It discusses the culture of consumption in Saskatchewan that often makes it seems like binge drinking is normal. It is important for youth to learn alternative ways of coping with challenges and understand the very real harms that can result from overconsuming alcohol and using drugs.

The launch of Cope Magazine is taking place during Saskatchewan Addictions Awareness Week (SAAW) from November 14-20, 2016. SAAW is a provincial event that aims to build awareness about alcohol and drug misuse, and offers a chance for communities to play a role in addressing these harms and create change.

The launch takes place on:

November 15, 2016

10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.

Theatre Lobby, E.A. Rawlinson Centre

142-12th Street West

Prince Albert

The launch is an opportunity for those who work with youth to learn about this project and then share it with others. Young people who were involved in the magazine development will be in attendance to talk about the impact this process has had on them. Tricia Lucyshyn, a teacher at Wesmor High School, shares “being a part of this project has empowered our students. They realize that they have a voice and that they in fact, do have the power to lead a healthy lifestyle and to be a positive example to other youth.”

Cope will be available online at www.skprevention.ca and in print across the province after the official release on November 15, 2016.

Youth Action for Prevention (YAP), funded by the Ministry of Health, engages diverse groups of youth throughout Saskatchewan to create resources that increase awareness of FASD and alcohol-related harms in their communities. Through peer-to-peer prevention, YAP encourages youth to replace potentially risky behaviours with healthy ones.

The Saskatchewan Prevention Institute’s mission is to help reduce the occurrence of disabling conditions in children by providing evidence-based information to Saskatchewan service providers, families, and communities.