Participants at a festival in Romania can "assess their relationship with alcohol". They will receive a special tool for drinking
Participants at the Electric Castle festival will be able to assess their relationship with alcohol with the help of specialists from the ALIAT Association for Mental Health.
"The Chill Tent by ALIAT", the first and only Harm Reduction Program for alcohol consumption in recreational spaces in Romania, is making its debut at Electric Castle under the name "CHILL LOUNGE".
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Located in the festival’s camping area until July 21st, the CHILL LOUNGE will offer a space where festival-goers can take a break and benefit from information and counseling on #safefun.
Festival attendees at Electric Castle, one of Europe's largest music festivals, held at the Bonțida estate near Cluj-Napoca, will experience for the first time a safe&chill area—CHILL LOUNGE by Aliat ONG and EC—until the afternoon of July 21.
At the CHILL LOUNGE tent, a 120 square meter area with relaxation zones, attendees can assess their "relationship" with alcohol through tests and interactive games, alongside a team of nearly 20 specialists and volunteers from the ALIAT Association for Mental Health.
They can assess their personal alcohol consumption with the AUDIT Test
"For example, they will be able to evaluate their personal alcohol consumption using the AUDIT Test, a scientific tool created by the World Health Organization, and measure their alcohol intake with the Drink-O-Meter, a tool specifically created for the festival.
Additionally, they will receive useful information and recommendations on how to protect their health, and can benefit from brief interventions and one-on-one counseling from ALIAT specialists", says a statement sent on July 27th by the ALIAT Association for Mental Health.
According to the cited source, the AUDIT Test followed by brief intervention saves lives—it can prevent 1 in 3 deaths caused by problematic alcohol consumption, and it takes 282 such brief interventions to save one life each year, according to international impact studies.
"This is a pioneering intervention in Romania"
"This is a pioneering intervention in Romania aimed at reducing the risks associated with excessive alcohol consumption and other dangerous behaviors that can occur in recreational spaces. It is the first time such a testing and psychoeducation intervention has reached one of our major music festivals, and we are excited to offer this program, which has already become a standard in other countries", says Viorel Roman, Executive Director of the ALIAT Association for Mental Health, according to the cited communication.
The Chill Tent by ALIAT was launched in 2013 as part of the Alcohelp project, run since 2009 by ALIAT ONG. This unique Harm Reduction Program has hosted a total of 17 editions so far (Padina Fest 2013, 2014, Vama Veche 2015-2023), with over 33,000 visitors to the Chill Tent, more than 3,700 AUDIT alcohol consumption evaluations and brief interventions among the population, and over 1,200 hours of psychological, social and medical counseling.
