Our Community Doesn’t Support Underage Drinking: Development, Implementation and Evaluation of a Community-Based Social Marketing Program—An Abstract

Abstract

Underage drinking is an issue of concern around the world. One of the key influences on youth drinking is perceived social norms, and there is some evidence that social norms also influence parents’ and other adults’ decisions to provide alcohol to minors. There is increasing evidence that comprehensive social marketing campaigns—that go beyond a singular focus on messaging—can produce positive changes in drinking behaviours (Stead et al. 2007), and that social norms interventions can reduce alcohol consumption (Wesley Perkins et al. 2005, 2006). However, both approaches have yet to be employed in Australia for the complex issue of underage drinking. The Kiama ‘Stop Underage Drinking Project’ aims to reduce the perceived normative nature of underage drinking and supply of alcohol to minors and, in the longer term, reduce alcohol consumption among young people aged 12–17 years.

The intervention commenced in October 2014, and ran for 2 years. The adolescent component included a comprehensive, one term (11-week) social norms curriculum, information sessions and presentations, a teen section on the intervention website, and competitions and giveaways. The parent component included print materials, parenting workshops, information sessions, mailouts and a parent-targeted section on the website. The community-wide component included the poster campaign, a community section on the website, news and editorial items and advertising in the local newspaper, a visible presence at major community events and project merchandise.

A baseline survey was conducted prior to the commencement of the intervention (N = 610), and those who agreed to participate in future research were re-contacted 12 months after the intervention launched (N = 397). This mid-point evaluation found a significant reduction in respondents’ perceptions of the percentage of young people in the community who are drinkers, at all three age levels (14, 16 and 18 years). Additionally, there was a significant reduction in the perceived acceptable age for allowing children to sip or taste alcohol. There were also declines in the perceived proportion of parents who provide alcohol for their 16-year-old to drink at home and, among respondents who were parents, the perceived proportion of parents who provide alcohol for their 16-year-old to consume at a supervised party.

While there is widespread recognition that children’s and adolescents’ drinking is strongly influenced by social norms, and increasing evidence that parents’ and other adults’ decisions to provide alcohol are likewise influenced, there are surprisingly few published evaluations of interventions to address these norms at a community level. The mid-point evaluation data provides preliminary evidence that a whole-of-community social marketing intervention can address misperceptions about social norms, and can potentially influence attitudes and behavioural intentions. Social marketing can play a key role in providing environments that support not drinking as an acceptable and normative behaviour for adolescents.

References Available Upon Request