Last Wednesday, the Centre for Alcohol Policy Research released the study into Australian drinking patterns, which identified a decline in underage binge drinking and an increase in the age at which many young people first drink alcohol.

It found the number of Australians aged 14-17 years old who are binge drinking decreased by half over the past 13 years while the number abstaining more than doubled.

Funded by the Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education (FARE) and undertaken by the Centre for Alcohol Policy Research (CAPR), the study involved more than 120,000 respondents.

Report author Michael Livingston said he was encouraged to see the promising trends.

"Young people have sharply reduced their drinking over the last decade; in particular teenagers are drinking less alcohol, and in less risky quantities," Dr Livingston said.

The Kiama Underage Drinking Project's Stand Your Ground project manager Kelly Andrews said the research reflected the findings they were making in their own studies.

"It's not just us saying that attitudes are changing; our project is not happening in isolation" she said.

"Lots of research centres are talking to young people and finding the same thing - it's nationwide."

Recent efforts locally to help change attitudes towards underage drinking included stilt-walking and hula hooping.

The Kiama Underage Drinking Project is funded by the Australian Research Council with support from the University of Wollongong, and was developed and implemented in collaboration with community partners in Kiama.

The project aims to address social norms surrounding underage drinking (including the supply of alcohol to teenagers) and includes a social marketing campaign; a youth component with school and community-based activities; and a parent component including online and environmental activities.

Honora Jenkins is from Pure Art Projects. The Illawarra community development worker specialises in working with young people and their families, inspiring creative learning experiences via the use of circus, music, movement and interactive storytelling.

During the past 18 months, she has been stilt-walking and hula-hooping her way through the community as part of the Stand Your Ground project.

"I jumped at the chance to support the project because of its different approach to the issue," she said. "We hear too many negative stories in the media about young people and alcohol.

"This project is about reinforcing all the positive choices that they make."

Ms Andrews said she wanted to reinforce that because fewer teens were binge drinking and were waiting longer to try alcohol, did not mean they were using drugs.

"This is not true," she said.

"There has been no increase in teens' elicit drug use and no evidence to suggest that they are swapping one for another.

"Teens are smart enough and strong enough to say no to both - we need to give them more credit."

Ms Andrews said Ms Jenkins' skills had brought a "down to earth flavour" to the campaign messages.

"Young people and their parents feel a very real pressure to accept underage drinking when in reality, they don't want to," she said.

"Honora's sense of humour, bright costumes and engaging personality help to engage people with a topic that is sometimes hard to talk about."