The Mental Health Commission and Cancer Council WA have joined forces to launch a new advertising campaign to empower parents to say no to their children drinking alcohol before the age of 18.
Launched as a part of the Government’s $6.7 million commitment to raise awareness about the harms associated with alcohol use, the new Alcohol. Think Again ‘we all need to say no’ campaign is aimed at reducing alcohol-related harm among adolescents.
The organisers say it 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, they say, is not the case.
“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,” the organisers said.
“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,” they said.
Minister for Mental Health, Amber-Jade Sanderson said research had 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,” Ms Sanderson said.
“”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,” she said.
