Initiative details
The initiative addressed several key road safety challenges:
• Preventing driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs among young people.
• Raising awareness about the dangers of psychoactive substance use and its impact on traffic safety.
• Creating a safe environment for youth to experience nightlife without harmful influences.
• Preventing driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs among young people.
• Raising awareness about the dangers of psychoactive substance use and its impact on traffic safety.
• Creating a safe environment for youth to experience nightlife without harmful influences.
Initiative date
Who was/is your target audience?
Children 0-16
Topic
Create awareness
Education in school or in community organizations
Knowledge building and sharing
Organisation details
Mladinski center Nova Gorica
Local Public authority
Slovenia
Nova Gorica
Contact name
Jana Kruh
Telephone number
00386 5 333 40 20
jana.kruh@mc-novagorica.si
Website link
Project activities
If you work together with external partners, list the most important partners and briefly describe their role.
Key external partners:
• Zavod VOZIM – Provided interactive workshops on the dangers of driving under the influence.
• DrogArt – Offered harm reduction information and interactive content on drug use.
• No Excuse Slovenia – Promoted healthy lifestyles and helped empower youth to reject harmful environmental influences.
• Police and Security Service – Ensured safety and conducted awareness activities regarding road safety.
• Zavod VOZIM – Provided interactive workshops on the dangers of driving under the influence.
• DrogArt – Offered harm reduction information and interactive content on drug use.
• No Excuse Slovenia – Promoted healthy lifestyles and helped empower youth to reject harmful environmental influences.
• Police and Security Service – Ensured safety and conducted awareness activities regarding road safety.
Please describe the project activities you carried/are carrying out and the time period over which these were implemented.
The project involved organizing a drug and alcohol-free matinee for pupils in the final triad of primary school. It took place on Thursday, 24 April 2025, from 18:00 to 21:00, at the Marco Polo discotheque in Nova Gorica.
Main activities included:
March
• presentations in all final-grade classes; distribution of consent forms and registration through teachers.
April - day of a matinee
• Entry control to ensure only pre-registered students attended, by checking IDs
• A live DJ and music band performance
• A refreshment corner with free non-alcoholic beverages
• Distribution of promotional materials and symbolic prizes
• Interactive preventive workshops by national NGOs.
Main activities included:
March
• presentations in all final-grade classes; distribution of consent forms and registration through teachers.
April - day of a matinee
• Entry control to ensure only pre-registered students attended, by checking IDs
• A live DJ and music band performance
• A refreshment corner with free non-alcoholic beverages
• Distribution of promotional materials and symbolic prizes
• Interactive preventive workshops by national NGOs.
In terms of implementation, what worked well and what challenges did you need to overcome?
What worked well:
• Creating a safe and welcoming atmosphere for pupils experiencing nightlife for the first time.
• Strong participation (approx. 500 students).
• Effective collaboration with NGOs, police, and security services.
• Positive response from youth to the substance-free concept.
Challenges:
• Ensuring strict access control to prevent unauthorized individuals.
• Maintaining the engagement of young participants in preventive content while keeping the event entertaining
• Creating a safe and welcoming atmosphere for pupils experiencing nightlife for the first time.
• Strong participation (approx. 500 students).
• Effective collaboration with NGOs, police, and security services.
• Positive response from youth to the substance-free concept.
Challenges:
• Ensuring strict access control to prevent unauthorized individuals.
• Maintaining the engagement of young participants in preventive content while keeping the event entertaining
Evaluation
Please summarise how you have evaluated the initiative’s impact (e.g. social media reach, survey, feedback forms, statistics).
Evaluation Methods:
• Informal feedback from students and schools.
• Observed behavior during the event (no incidents reported).
• Number of attendees (approx. 500 participants).
• Ongoing engagement with partner organizations.
• Informal feedback from students and schools.
• Observed behavior during the event (no incidents reported).
• Number of attendees (approx. 500 participants).
• Ongoing engagement with partner organizations.
What has been the effect of the activities?
• Participants reached: Approx. 500 young people
• Impact Level: Primarily local (Municipality of Nova Gorica), with potential regional/national relevance due to involvement of national NGOs.
• The event showed a clear positive impact on young people's understanding that entertainment of high quality doesn't require alcohol or drugs.
• Although quantitative data on crash reduction is not available, the preventive messaging around road safety reached a key at-risk demographic before they begin driving.
• Impact Level: Primarily local (Municipality of Nova Gorica), with potential regional/national relevance due to involvement of national NGOs.
• The event showed a clear positive impact on young people's understanding that entertainment of high quality doesn't require alcohol or drugs.
• Although quantitative data on crash reduction is not available, the preventive messaging around road safety reached a key at-risk demographic before they begin driving.
Please briefly explain why your initiative is a good example of improving road safety.
This initiative is a strong example of preventive action:
• It directly targets youngsters before they become active drivers.
• It combines entertainment with meaningful education in a real-world setting (a discotheque).
• It actively involves national NGOs, law enforcement, and local institutions.
• It’s highly replicable, cost-efficient, and adaptable to other communities or regions.
• It directly targets youngsters before they become active drivers.
• It combines entertainment with meaningful education in a real-world setting (a discotheque).
• It actively involves national NGOs, law enforcement, and local institutions.
• It’s highly replicable, cost-efficient, and adaptable to other communities or regions.
How have you shared information about your project and its results?
• Each year, the matinée is officially announced during a press conference held in November, as part of the Month of Prevention
• Information was shared through local school channels (teachers and class coordinators).
• Partner NGOs promoted their involvement through their networks and social media.
• The Youth Centre Nova Gorica communicated about the event and its preventive message to local stakeholders.
• The event is being held for the fourth year in a row as a matinée and is well established in the local community. With the involvement of national NGOs, it also contributes to comprehensive preventive efforts at the national level."
• promotions in newspapers
• Information was shared through local school channels (teachers and class coordinators).
• Partner NGOs promoted their involvement through their networks and social media.
• The Youth Centre Nova Gorica communicated about the event and its preventive message to local stakeholders.
• The event is being held for the fourth year in a row as a matinée and is well established in the local community. With the involvement of national NGOs, it also contributes to comprehensive preventive efforts at the national level."
• promotions in newspapers
Supporting materials
