Campaign to reduce under-age drinking shows positive results

Evaluation results for the latest Alcohol, Think Again campaign have shown a positive impact on parents with adolescent children asking for alcohol.

With the slogan, ‘it’s easier to say no when we all say no’, the campaign aims to raise awareness that no one should give alcohol to under-18s, and calls for parents to join the two out of three already saying no.

The campaign evaluation included with at least one child aged 12-17 years. Parents were recruited to include a mix of those who consumed alcohol and those who didn’t, as well as a mix of parents who had provided alcohol to their adolescents and those who hadn’t.

Most parents who participated in the evaluation were aware that guidelines say under-18s shouldn’t drink any alcohol and impact on young brains was the most salient harm of underage drinking.

Results showed 93 percent of parents found the ad easy to understand, 76 percent said it was relevant to them, 66 percent said it was the best they’d seen, and 59 percent said it made them think about doing something differently.

A participating parent who identified as a provider said: “It does make me feel bad because I did let my then 13-year-old have a sip of my drink.”

After viewing the ad, around 40 percent of parents spoke to their child about alcohol, 25 percent reflected on their own alcohol use and 25 percent decided they would not supply alcohol to children under the age of 18.

A non-provider parent participant said: “It makes me feel confident to say no to my under-age child.”