ARRECIFE IS THE FIRST CANARY ISLANDS MUNICIPALITY TO LAUNCH THIS PLAN

Arrecife implements a program to prevent drug use and alcohol abuse in leisure venues

The "Responsible Service" project is aimed at promoting the commitment of the hotel sector in the defense of safe, healthy and quality leisure. 18 establishments participate?

February 28 2014 (12:22 WET)
Arrecife implements a program to prevent drug use and alcohol abuse in leisure venues
Arrecife implements a program to prevent drug use and alcohol abuse in leisure venues

The Arrecife City Council presented this Thursday the "Responsible Service" program, a project aimed at promoting the commitment of the hotel sector to defend safe, healthy and quality leisure. The initiative is co-financed by the Spanish Federation of Municipalities and Provinces and for its execution has had the participation of the Association of Tourist Entrepreneurs of Lanzarote (Aetur), the Association of Citizens and Entrepreneurs for the Development of Lanzarote (Celan) and the NGO Controla Club.

According to the City Council, this program places the city of Arrecife "at the forefront of this type of activities aimed at preventing the problem of abusive alcohol consumption and recreational drug use in leisure spaces and promoting excellence and quality in customer service".

The project is part of the objectives of the national program for the prevention of drug dependence in the hotel sector and Arrecife is the first municipality in the Canary Islands to implement it. In fact, the president of the NGO Controla Club, Vicente Pizcueta, has expressed his satisfaction with the participation of the Arrecife venues, highlighting that, "of the 20 cities throughout Spain in which the program has been implemented, Arrecife is the one that has had the highest number of participants".

 

Responsible dispensing of alcohol and protection of minors


The program focuses on the implementation of a network of establishments in Arrecife whose premises meet a series of requirements, which guarantee a responsible service and quality care to their customers. "All these requirements are included in the "Code of Good Professional Practices in the Hotel Sector" and includes advice and recommendations on the responsible dispensing of alcohol, the protection of minors, the safety and control of the facilities of public establishments, the ability of the premises to react to emergency situations and, in general, the adequate provision of the service and attention to customers", said the Councilor for Social Services, Immigration and Equality of the Arrecife City Council, Ascensión Toledo.

For his part, the head of Tourism, Commerce and Consumption, Rafael Juan González, has announced the launch of a program of activities "aimed at promoting responsibility in leisure and the tourist promotion of Arrecife's nightlife", in which the establishments that have completed the implementation process of the project will participate. Precisely, after the press conference to present this program, the badges and diplomas have been awarded to the establishments and to the workers and businessmen of the sector who have collaborated in the implementation process. Badges that these Carnivals must already be visible in the different venues.

 

Main data of the program


The "Responsible Service" Program has had the participation of a total of 25 businessmen and workers from 18 hotel establishments, including La Roca, The Garden, Callejón Liso, La Raspa, Tropicana Deluxe, Te Veo, La Cervecería, Gambrinus, Cafetería Central, El Manjar, Aquí Te Espero, San Francisco, Tángara, Bar Asturias, La Bulla, La Miñoca, La Botica and El Doblón.

As a result of the work developed by the program, the Arrecife venues have drawn up a list with the main measures that the sector has taken into account in this regard, such as preventing the consumption of alcohol by minors, controlling the access of minors to the venues, avoiding the dispensing of alcohol to pregnant women and people with obvious symptoms of drunkenness, respecting standard measures in the dispensing of alcohol, guaranteeing potable cold water in freely accessible toilets, respecting the closing hours of the venue, keeping the workplace clean and tidy, having a first aid kit or carrying out routines to control spaces where drug use may occur, such as bathrooms.

The president of the NGO Controla Club, Vicente Pizcueta, has stated that, taking into account the results of the evaluation process of the establishments, the average rating obtained by the participating companies is 7.7, when the national average is 7.3". "It shows a high level of quality and safety of the facilities", he stressed. 

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