About
Developed by the Collectif Vital, an initiative of the Association pour la santé publique du Québec, the I’m Thirsty for Health! campaign aims to promote healthy hydration by encouraging, normalizing and valuing water consumption.
The reason behind this campaign is to respond to the ever-growing problem of overconsumption of sugary drinks among the Quebec population, particularly in youth. The marketing of sugary drinks and their exposure to them is constant throughout our daily lives hindering the availability and consumption of water. I'm Thirsty For Health! encourages the population to increase their water consumption and provides ways to improve ones environment by taking small steps in promoting healthy hydration habits that will contribute to sustainable health for all.
Building environments where water is the most accessible and attractive drink!
I'm Thirsty for Health! is a social marketing campaign that proposes actions and tools that focus on a combination of water-friendly environments and individual skill development. Decision-makers and adults in contact with children are invited to inspire them by modifying their living environments and acting as healthy hydration models.
Many partners are involved in the design of messages and actions, as well as their implementation and dissemination, to promote water consumption in different settings.
Simple and free tools
The campaign proposes concrete tools and actions that focus on the creation of water-friendly environments and the development of individual skills, such as infographics illustrating winning conditions for building water-friendly environments :
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fact sheets to promote the role model role of the child's caregivers;
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educational and fun challenges and activities to encourage children to drink water with their lunch;
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accompanying guides to share best practices and support practitioners in carrying out the challenges, both in their messages and in their actions to promote water;
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pedagogical activities for health and physical education teachers;
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sample resolutions for governing boards and municipalities;
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a two pagers for workplaces that highlights the benefits of making water accessible and attractive and includes tips and tricks for doing so;
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fact sheets for professionals;
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practical tips for home and work.
The simplicity of the tools and their free access allow everyone to benefit from them. As the campaign also aims to create environments that facilitate water consumption, it offers everyone an equal opportunity to adopt healthy hydration habits, thus avoiding increasing the gaps between different communities.
Let’s build an environment where water is the most valuable drink for our kids!
Because of how water consumption stimulates the reward and pleasure systems, it also provides positive feedback based on the benefits of a desired behaviour that would be more effective in promoting healthy lifestyles. Positive feelings generate self-efficacy of behaviours; a key behaviour component of change, according to the Bandura theory. By encouraging water consumption, in a fun effective way, the I'm Thirsty for Health! campain goal aims to ensure a child’s main beverage of choice is water. By doing so, the promotion of water has the potential to become a chosen choice of drink over other types, such as sugary drinks or juices.