Vancouver 2010 Winter Games: Keeping our guests safe

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What would you say if you were walking the streets of Vancouver and a Superhero handed you condoms?

As we prepare for the 2010 Winter Games, Vancouverites are taking care of their own health and fitness levels, but we don't stop there. We're also going to great lengths to make sure that our guests have a safe and healthy stay.

With 5,000 athletes and officials, 10,000 media members, 14,000 volunteers and 2.3 million attendees, we're not taking the responsibility lightly. The health and safety of our guests is top priority. Personally, I think the way we're going about it is slightly comical, and mildly offensive to the family audience, but $20,000 contributed by City Of Vancouver says that we are taking ourselves quite seriously. From health promotion to policy's supporting health and safety, we're taking care of our guests.

Volunteers, most of them in costume, will be handing out safe kits. In these you'll find condoms, lubricants, lip balm, hand heaters, glow sticks, DVDs and information about local health resources. The logic behind this is that guests will be on vacation, consuming more alcohol than usual and prone to impulsive behaviour. We're just here to make sure their impulsive decisions don't leave anything behind.

Safe Games 2010 is the organization behind this initiative. The approach might be light hearted, but the issues are serious, and the inspiration came from a successful program at the 2002 games in Salt Lake City.

It isn't all about sex (though a condom on stilts will be hard to ignore), as the Safe Games project educates visitors about our four pillar drug policies and promote harm reduction techniques. With information about responsible alcohol consumption and links to community resources, Safe Games 2010 recognized that visitors are here to have fun, and supports them in keeping that fun safe.

Guests are reminded that only those with US or Canadian driver's licenses are permitted to drive here. For the comfort and safety of everyone, transit will be running at full capacity.

Keeping in step with Vancouver's smoking regulations, bars and restaurants will remain smoke-free during the events, and the law that requires you to be more than 6 meters from a doorway when smoking is still in effect. The IOC has labeled these Olympics "smoke-free-games", and applied restrictions to all Olympic facilities.

The anti-smoking regulations have ruffled some European feathers, but maybe free condoms will cheer them up.

- Francesca Clarke -