Document Type

Conference Paper

Publication Date

7-2008

Publication Details

This conference paper was originally published as Ong, D. and Lloyd, H., Reducing Underage Kerbside Drinking in North Tyneside: A Social Marketing Project, Partnerships, Proof and Practice - International Nonprofit and Social Marketing Conference 2008, University of Wollongong, 15-16 July 2008.

Abstract

experience the highest levels of binge-drinking and life-time drunkenness in Europe. Youth drinking trends in North Tyneside reflect the national picture and many young people drink unsupervised on the streets, placing them at increased risk of alcohol-related harm (e.g. violence and assaults) and environmental danger (e.g. accidents and injuries), as well as contributing to residents’ fear of crime. The National Social Marketing Centre (NSMC) is working with North Tyneside Primary Care Trust (PCT) to use a social marketing approach to help reduce underage kerbside drinking in the Borough. A review of the secondary data and original primary research: in-depth, semi-structured interviews, focus groups, and participant observation with underage street drinkers, their parents, local shopkeepers, residents and the trading standards lead, was conducted to explore why underage youths drink in public places in North Tyneside and what exchange could be offered to reduce this trend. A number of motivational drivers of underage street drinking were identified: 1) perception that there was nothing else to do; 2) normalisation of drinking and peer pressure; and 3) availability of cheap alcohol. These findings have led to the development of a multi-stranded intervention that incorporates: 1) ongoing social spaces with building-based activities; 2) out-of-hours activities in existing community services; 3) transportation; 4) reduction in underage alcohol sales; and 5) a communications strategy. The intervention is due to pre-test in July 2008 and preliminary results will be presented at the conference.

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