The commercials show people making poor and dangerous choices after excessive drinking and illustrate realistic transformations – when good times turn bad. They continue the message It’s not the drinking, it’s how we’re drinking.

ALAC CEO Gerard Vaughan says he makes no excuses for the hard-hitting nature of the campaign, as it takes an honest approach to what is a serious problem for many people.

“The commercials mirror the serious effects of alcohol misuse and do not exaggerate what is happening every week around New Zealand.

“They aim to get New Zealanders thinking about the personal costs of binge drinking – to them, and their friends and family.”

ALAC’s drinking culture campaign is part of a programme of work designed to change the current environment of tolerance of drunkenness, binge drinking and intoxication.

“We must increase the number of drinkers who think about the effects of getting drunk and who agree it is never okay to get drunk. We want people to reflect on the messages from their own perspective and experiences, and consider changing harmful drinking habits,” Mr Vaughan says.

Each of the three commercials follows one person from when they start drinking to a shocking conclusion. We see ‘Uncle Mark’ having a few beers at a barbeque, ‘Lisa’ having drinks after work, and ‘Danny’ drinking at the local pub or sports club. Uncle Mark is a show off drinker, Lisa is drinking to boost her confidence, and Danny is a team drinker.

As they continue to drink, there is a ‘tipping point’ when their harmless behaviour becomes harmful – to themselves and others. We follow them along their drinking pathway as they continue to make poor choices due to the volume of alcohol consumed.

The commercials include information about how to get help if you are concerned about your drinking, or the drinking of others. An 0800 number (0800 787 797) directs callers to the Alcohol Drug Helpline, while the campaign website – www.hadenough.org.nz – has information about binge drinking, where to go for help, being a responsible host, managing your drinking, and campaign material.

Mr Vaughan says binge drinking causes a lot of harm to New Zealanders and their families.

“Consquences of binge drinking include injury and crime, domestic violence, neglect of family responsibilities like providing basic necessities of life to children of food and adequate clothing, lost productivity at work, hospital admissions, memory loss and embarrassment, depression and more.”

He says while the campaign targets problems caused by excessive drinking it does not target drinking per se.

“Campaign advertisements are not aimed at drinkers who use alcohol only in moderation.

“But it is time to mature as a nation about the degree of binge drinking happening our communities and the effects it has.

“When there are figures, for example, showing some 70 percent of accident and emergency hospital admissions and 75 to 90 percent of weekend crime is alcohol-related; any glamorising of binge drinking and intoxication should stop.”

ALAC research carried out in 2007 found that 25 percent of those surveyed were binge drinkers, 62 percent were moderate drinkers and 12 were non-drinkers.

Gerard Vaughan says the cost of the advertising campaign – about $3 million per year – can be compared to the costs of alcohol-related harm – thought be between $1 billion and $4 billion a year.

“There are personal, family and community costs as well that are not included in this figure. It will be money well spent if this campaign reduces, even by a small amount, the effects of binge drinking.

“Despite the success of previous advertising, the message has yet to get through to many people about the harms caused by excessive drinking.

“Previous advertising has focused on ‘softer’ consequences such as embarrassment and regret. The new campaign focuses on more serious stark realities.”

He says the campaign, which also features print advertising, is not about simply delivering a social message by mass media.

“We know that advertising alone will not change behaviour, which is why this campaign is just one part of a multi-faceted programme to tackle increase moderation and reduce alcohol-related harm. However, advertising – in conjunction with a whole range of other strategies – can influence behaviour.

“These other strategies include policy work, education, service provision and enforcement.

“For example, ALAC is committed to strengthening its links to communities which are most affected by alcohol, such as, Maori, young people between the ages of 12 and 24, and Pacific Island groups. These links and other less high profile and local programmes will augment the new campaign.”

Awareness of ‘drinking culture’ advertising

Research undertaken between July and September 2007(1)  found that:

• almost all adults are aware of the discussion about New Zealand’s drinking culture. Three-quarters of adults had unprompted awareness of ALAC’s drinking culture campaign, and 99 percent were aware of the campaign when prompted
• one-third of all adults who were aware of any drinking habits-related advertising said they had discussed this advertising with other people
• one quarter of adults who said they were now drinking less indicated that their decision to drink less had been influenced in some way by the alcohol-related publicity they had seen. This represents 10 percent of all drinkers
• there are high levels of awareness of the campaign message “It’s not the drinking, it’s how we are drinking”, with one third of all adults having unprompted awareness of this message and 97 percent being aware of it when prompted
• well over half of adult New Zealanders (65 percent) were thinking about the harms to themselves and others that resulted from their drinking
• almost three-quarters of adult New Zealanders agreed they were more likely to cause serious harm to themselves or others when they got drunk.

(1) Research New Zealand. ALAC Alcohol Monitor – Adults and Youth 2006-07 Drinking Behaviours Report.