“H2Q - Home to Queima: come and go safe” is part of the project “Prevention of use/abuse of alcohol and other psychoactive substances: interventions in contexts throughout the lifecycle” of the Research Unit of the Nursing School of Coimbra. During the academic festivities of Queima das Fitas de Coimbra, this project tried to increase young people’s awareness for the adoption of responsible drinking and driving behaviours.
Through this pilot-project, developed within the scope of the Clinical Practice in Community Mental Health Nursing (8th semester), 55 alcohol tests were performed on potential drivers before entering their vehicles.
According to the results obtained, 59.6% of potential drivers had positive blood alcohol concentration, with 38.5% of them having blood alcohol levels higher than the BAC limits (ranging from 0.4 to 2.06 g/L).
This intervention was conducted on 7 May 2016, between 4am and 8am, in a parking lot next to the main venue of festivities (Praça da Canção). All of those involved in this intervention chose not to drive, asking another person, who also took BAC tests, to drive, going home on foot or in public transportation. Some of them even returned later to take another test.
This intervention of the project-pilot “H2Q - Home to Queima: come and go safe” was possible due to the involvement of the students Diogo Marques, Jimmy Martins and Tiago Silva, under the guidance of Professor Teresa Barroso.
The Coimbra Alcohology Unit, the Public Security Police Force, the City Hall of Coimbra and the Organizing Committee of Queima das Fitas, AAC were partners in this initiative from the Nursing School of Coimbra.
[2016-05-15]
