The Italian cities of Trani and Bisceglie have launched a new awareness campaign titled non ti bere la vita (“don’t drink your life away”), targeting young people with a strong message against alcohol abuse. Organized by the Ambito Territoriale of Trani-Bisceglie in cooperation with the social cooperative Shalom, the campaign aims to challenge the widespread cultural association between alcohol and ideas of success, fun, and charm. It seeks to dismantle these misleading perceptions and encourage a more conscious understanding of the real risks tied to alcohol consumption.

According to Alessandro Nicola Attolico, head of the Ufficio di Piano, alcohol use is an increasingly underestimated issue among adolescents and their caregivers. Referencing WHO and Italian Ministry of Health data, he warns that many young people between the ages of 18 and 24 engage in uncontrolled drinking, with growing trends in binge drinking—consuming large amounts of alcohol in a single occasion with the intent to get drunk. Such behaviors pose significant health risks and often lead to dangerous actions, such as drunk driving, making the issue not just personal but a broader social concern.

Throughout April, the campaign will feature a 30-second awareness video distributed via the official websites and social media pages of both cities and the local social services portal. Visibility on the ground is reinforced through posters, promotional items distributed in public places frequented by youth, and a mobile Family LAB unit bringing the campaign into neighborhoods across Trani and Bisceglie. Trani’s councillor for social policies, Alessandra Rondinone, emphasized the urgent need for targeted action: “The growing number of tragic incidents involving young people and excessive alcohol use forces us to act decisively. This campaign is our effort to help youth understand the destructive effects of alcohol, moving away from the illusion of guaranteed fun.”

Find more from Segretariato Sociale (Italy, April 2025)