AN initiative seeking to change attitudes towards underage drinking in Kiama has underlined the dangers of teenagers’ ownership of and exposure to alcohol branded merchandise.
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The Kiama Underage Drinking Project has published findings that adolescent ownership of alcohol branded merchandise (ABM) is widespread, is associated with drinking behaviours and contributes to the perception of peer alcohol consumption.
These findings were published in Health Promotion International.
According to project manager Kelly Andrews, the findings are consistent with similar studies undertaken in the UK and US, and highlighted the need to be aware of the impact of ABM.
“ABM such as hats, T-shirts, key rings, bags, food and other novelty items which are labelled with an alcohol brand are designed to build brand identity and allegiance among young and future consumers,” Ms Andrews said.
‘‘The concerning thing about ABM is that it is such an insidious form of marketing.
‘‘People can wear it and use it in their everyday activities making exposure to, and identification with, favourite alcohol brands quite extensive.’’
She said there were significant links between ownership of ABM and lifetime alcohol use, meaning that those who owned ABM had higher rates of ‘‘ever drinking’’.
Those who owned ABM were significantly more likely to perceive that their friends were drinkers and also believed that their friends thought that they should drink.
“We also talked to parents in the study,’’ Ms Andrews said.
‘‘There is evidence that parents influence their children’s decisions around drinking and that parental guidance can even lessen the impact of alcohol advertising – so we wanted to know what parents thought about ABM.
“It was interesting that in the beginning of the discussions, many parents hadn’t really thought about the impact of ABM or thought it was harmless.
- Project manager Kelly Andrews,
‘‘One hour later, they clearly saw it as (unregulated) advertising – and had concerns regarding the obvious appeal to children especially via toys and games.’’
Kiama Downs parent Janelye Richardson has four children, aged 17, 20, 22 and 24.
Mrs Richardson was surprised to see how many ABM items were in her home.
‘‘I think the hardest thing for me as a parent is that culture out there that do believe that it’s okay to drink before they’re 18, ’’she said.
‘‘There’s that expectation that... My daughter’s going through that at the moment, that she goes to a party, she feels the pressure that everyone else is having a drink, and so should she.
‘‘My next child, he’s 20 now, he actually would go to a party with an empty alcoholic bottle with red cordial or something in it, so that it looked like he was drinking alcohol... It was just more to stop the questions or the pressure.
‘‘They thought that he was drinking so they left him alone.’’
Ms Andrews said the bottom line was the health of young people and the way in which they are manipulated and marketed to by alcohol companies.
‘‘Parents and kids are aware of advertising when it’s on a billboard, the TV or even a Facebook screen, but when they’re walking around with their T-Shirts, the caps, the thongs and the key-rings, the association to it, of it being targeted marketing is not as obvious.’’
‘‘The whole point of alcohol marketing is to build an allegiance to the brand.
‘‘So the more young people who are attracted to that brand and are happy to wear all that stuff, they’re building up an identity with that brand, so either they want to try it now, or when they’re ready to come of age and buy it themselves, they know what brand they like, and all the social reasons why.’’
The Kiama Underage Drinking Project is due to conclude in September.