Jungnang-gu Alcohol Harm Prevention Project Awarded Minister of Health and Welfare Prize

Forming the Nation's First Drinking Environment and Culture Improvement Council and Maintaining a Cooperative System with Relevant District Office Departments

The Jungnang-gu Public Health Center (Mayor Ryu Kyung-gi) was honored as the top institution by achieving first place in the excellent case category in the ‘2024 Alcohol Harm Prevention Project’ evaluation hosted by the Ministry of Health and Welfare on the 27th of last month.

Under the slogan "Enjoy Responsibly Without Getting Drunk," the Jungnang-gu Public Health Center is leading efforts to improve the drinking environment and culture by implementing moderation projects tailored to the district’s characteristics. From 2020 to 2023, the ‘No More Alcohol till Drunk (NoMAD) Project’ was carried out, effectively reducing the drinking rate among residents through various initiatives.

This project demonstrated tangible results by lowering the high-risk drinking rate in the area from 16.6% to 14.7%.

One of the key projects promoted by the district, the ‘Dining Establishment Drunkenness Prevention Campaign,’ has involved 347 dining establishments as of this year. The Public Health Center provided explanatory materials for dining staff to emphasize the importance of responsible alcohol service in restaurants and distributed posters with moderation messages to support dining establishments and consumers in creating a “pleasant drinking culture without drunkenness.”

Additionally, the program ‘Setting the Right Drinking Culture for Our Family’ is being operated in elementary schools and facilities frequented by elementary students. Based on neuroscience, parents, children, and teachers learn together about the effects of alcohol on the body, helping them understand and practice a proper drinking culture.

The Public Health Center is also focusing on preventing high-risk drinking. After assessing the drinking habits of patients visiting the clinic, it provides services to reduce health risks caused by alcohol through medical staff advice and personalized programs.

Jungnang-gu Mayor Ryu Kyung-gi stated, “Creating a proper drinking culture is essential to building a safe community,” adding, “We will work closely with the local community to make Jungnang-gu safe from alcohol-related harm.”

In 2021, the district formed Korea’s first alcohol environment and culture improvement council, establishing a cooperative system with 14 related organizations including the police, education support office, medical institutions, and private organizations. Through working-level meetings, they discuss the direction of moderation projects and collaboration among institutions, systematically mediating the local drinking environment.

Furthermore, efforts continue to protect residents’ safety from alcohol harm and foster a proper drinking culture in the area, such as designating no-drinking and no-smoking zones in the Myeonmok Station plaza.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.