Victorian Tertiary Alcohol Campaign

Campaign Background

In June 2002, the Minister for Health launched the Victorian Alcohol Strategy: Stage One. The Strategy, prepared by the Department of Human Services, provided an overview on alcohol-related issues in Victoria and was the first step in an ongoing effort to reduce alcohol related harm to individual users and the Victorian community. One of the key proposals contained in the strategy was the development and implementation of an alcohol awareness campaign targeting tertiary students.

Young adults who attend tertiary institutions were identified as a population who demonstrate harmful patterns of alcohol use. For example, a study of nearly 400 tertiary students was conducted in Queensland and demonstrated that 50 per cent of male students and 20 per cent of female students drank to the point of intoxication at least once per week and more than two thirds drank at hazardous levels. Not only is alcohol being consumed at harmful levels within this population but is also being done on a regular basis.

To increase the awareness and understanding of the harms associated with drinking at hazardous and harmful levels, the Victorian Government developed an advertising and awareness campaign aimed at tertiary students. The following concepts were distributed and implemented across 9 Victorian tertiary institutions and 18 TAFE campuses. You may have noticed them around your campus in bathroom facilities, bus stops and even local pubs and bars.

Target Audience

The main target audience of the Victorian Tertiary Alcohol Strategy were tertiary students aged 18 – 21, studying at either a university or TAFE institution.

Campaign Aims and Messages

The aims of the Victorian Tertiary Alcohol Campaign were to:

• Increase young adults awareness of regular excessive and harmful drinking, particularly in the tertiary environment;
• Influence young adults attitudes, decisions and behaviours around alcohol and reduce the likelihood of consolidation of regular harmful drinking; and
• Increase young adults awareness of the services available to help someone with an alcohol problem, particularly Directline 1800 888 236.

The key messages of the Campaign were:

• Excessive drinking, repeatedly, can have a serious impact on the quality of your relationships with your friends;
• "Is getting pissed getting pathetic? (Just ask your friends)"; and
• Information, assistance and advice is available through http://www.health.vic.gov.au/drugs/ and Directline 1800 888 236.

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