Youth anti-drinking campaign aimed at parents

A NEW campaign aimed at reducing the provision of alcohol to those under 18 has the simple but powerful message “I need you to say no”.

A collaborative project between Meli, Communities That Care (CTC) and Barwon Health, the campaign contains the contributions of nine young people and a thought-provoking video now being shown on the big screen.

The CTC Youth Advisory Group educational project began in 2022 and is being rolled out throughout the Geelong region.

Based on National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) guidelines, “I Need You to Say No” also includes a series of posters, social media promotion and web-based educational resources.

“This campaign has been driven by young people urging parents and other trusted adults to step up to the challenge of saying no, which is not always easy in our society,” Meli chief executive officer Grant Boyd said.

“Every day at Meli we see the impacts of alcohol on young people and families, which is why this campaign is so important. Parents can play a big role in influencing young people’s attitudes to drinking as well as their access to alcohol.”

Barwon Health mental health, drugs and alcohol services clinical director Professor Steve Moylan said adolescents and young adults were at risk of alcohol-related harm because brain development is continuing throughout this period.

“The NRMRC recommends that no alcohol is the safest choice for under 18s.

“Underage drinking can lead to risky behaviour and injuries, mental ill-health and lead to harmful alcohol use later in life.

“We hope this campaign will encourage parents to rethink providing young people with alcohol. The video is a great conversation starter for families.”

CTC co-ordinator Louise McDonald said reducing early age alcohol and parental supply of alcohol to young people was one of CTC’s priority areas.

“Getting information to parents is hard, so we thought that if the messages came from the young people themselves, it would be more powerful and have more of an impact.”

She said the young people involved in the project had enjoyed contributing their ideas and feeling heard.

They were also excited to see their message finally be seen at Village Cinemas.

One participant, Matt (not his real name), said he hoped the campaign would create awareness of the damage alcohol can have on the community and families.

“Hopefully adults will reconsider their choices in supplying alcohol to children and teens.”

To watch the video, head to meli.org.au/i-need-you-to-say-no-campaign