A new advertising campaign to empower parents to say no to their children drinking alcohol before the age of 18 will launch on Sunday as part of the McGowan Government's $6.7 million commitment to raise awareness to the harms associated with alcohol use.
The new Alcohol. Think Again 'we all need to say no' campaign aims to reduce alcohol-related harm among adolescents and was informed by research which showed WA parents' decisions to provide alcohol to children under 18 was guided by the common misconception that other parents allowed their under 18s to drink alcohol - which is not the case.
Created by the Mental Health Commission and Cancer Council WA through research with local young people, parents and experts, the campaign raises awareness that two out of three parents are already saying no to under 18s drinking alcohol and urges all parents to join the movement to protect their child's developing brain.
By increasing parents' confidence to say no, many young people can be prevented from experiencing significant alcohol-related harm, and the likelihood of them developing problems with alcohol later in life can be reduced.
From Sunday July 3, 2022, the campaign will run State-wide on TV, cinema, radio, out-of-home, digital and social media and will encourage parents to visit the Alcohol. Think Again website for additional helpful information.
As stated by Mental Health Minister Amber-Jade Sanderson:
"Research has also shown that around one in three Western Australian young people who drink alcohol are doing so at high-risk levels, which can result in significant and preventable harm.
"The 'we all need to say no' campaign empowers parents to say no to their child drinking alcohol before the age of 18 and, by doing so, protect their child's developing brain from harm.
"The campaign is the first stage of our $6.7 million commitment to raise awareness about the dangers of alcohol and is part of a comprehensive strategy to reduce alcohol-related harm in the State."
