A campaign awareness and fun day against the abuse and misuse of codeine will be hosted at Patterson Park in Norwood on Friday.
The #LeanOnMe project will see youngsters taking part in various activities to showcase their talent.
Lean is a sweet drink made up of a soda/fizzy drink mixed with a cough syrup containing codeine. This mixture is used as a recreational drug or a source of creative inspiration, which makes the user feel intoxicated and relaxed, sometimes sleepy.
The main ingredient in lean is codeine, which is commonly found in over-the-counter cough mixtures, thus making it an easily attainable drug.
"This is in an attempt to encourage local youth to rather lean on their talent when in need of an escape rather than being tempted to lean on the substance," organisers said in a short statement.
At the heart of this initiative is ensuring that the students believe in themselves and love themselves enough to lean on their abilities, talents, and all that they can achieve with a sober mind, as opposed to relying on drugs.
The campaign’s approach to communities, media platforms and social media will teach the youth about the consequences they will have to live with when abusing drugs in order for them to make informed decisions. Ideally, it will discourage the use of drugs and promote leaning on their talents and other avenues that they should aspire towards through a sober mind.
The day starts at 9am.