Alcohol Postcards Evaluation
Research carried out by Dr. Fiona Hutton on behalf of
Victoria University Harm Reduction Group, Funded by
ALAC
September 2008
Dr. Fiona Hutton
Institute of Criminology
School of Social and Cultural Studies
Victoria University
Wellington
[email protected]
(04) 463 6749
2
Introduction
Background
The Alcohol Advisory Council of New Zealand (ALAC) identifies 785,000 New Zealand
adults as regularly indulging in binge drinking 1, an activity that is often blamed on young
people. However in 2005, 58,000 (16%) of young people aged between 12 and 17 were
defined as ‘social binge drinkers’. 55, 000 (16%) of young people aged between 12 and 17
were defined as ‘uncontrolled binge drinkers’ (www.alac.org.nz). The tertiary student health
survey (2007) identified that 72% of female and 75% of male students at Victoria University
reported recent ‘heavy episodic drinking’.
The Victoria University Harm Reduction Group (VUHRG) was set up in 2003, it’s goal to
reduce harm among tertiary students in Wellington through reducing the level of hazardous
drinking. In responding to concerns about student binge drinking the VUHRG produced a
series of postcards aimed at reducing the harms associated with a binge drinking culture. To
help plan future campaigns and to inform the production of additional information about
alcohol (and other issues) an evaluation of the effectiveness of this series of cards has been
carried out.
The aim of this research project was to examine how effective a series of alcohol related
postcards are in; making students think about their drinking, making students think about how
they behave when they have been drinking and to ask for some information about alcohol
use, safety and risk. The research also examined how effective the postcards were in affecting
or changing binge drinking behaviour.
The first part of this study, a questionnaire (please see appendix one) was successfully carried
out with 333 questionnaires completed. To maximise the number of respondents, raise
awareness and give information about the research it was ‘advertised’ through a ‘flyer’
(please see appendix two). This ‘flyer’ was distributed to all the halls of residence the week
before the questionnaires were carried out. The questionnaire focussed on issues such as;
which postcards students liked the most, what effect the postcards would have on drinking
behaviour, the risks taken when drinking. The questionnaire was also used as a recruiting tool
for a series of focus2 groups asking respondents to indicate if they would be willing to take
part in focus group discussions and to give their contact details.
The questionnaire was carried out by six volunteers and the lead researcher in the Victoria
University first year student halls of residence (Victoria House, Weir House, St. George,
Cumberland and McKenzies) 3, on 28th – 29th February 2008. First year halls were targeted as
new students were seen as being more vulnerable to binge drinking throughout orientation.
1
Binge drinking is a term that has a wide range of definitions. A widely used definition in New Zealand is;
consuming six or more drinks on one occasion for men, and consuming four or more drinks on one occasion for
women (Casswell and Bhatta 2001, Dacey 1998). Two widely used definitions in the UK are; consuming
double the recommended daily ‘sensible’ consumption, eight units for men, six units for women or consumption
of more than half the weekly recommended ‘sensible’ consumption level, ten and a half units for men, seven
units for women (Measham 2004:316).
2
The focus group and interviews were carried out in July 2008.
3
Thanks to all the hall mangers for their support of this project and to Nick Merrett, Lesley O’Cain and
Courtney for their invaluable help in organising the questionnaire distribution, and with leafleting to advertise
the research.
3
‘Campus Coaches’4 were also recruited to carry out the questionnaire on 27th February 20085,
and it was posted on the ‘Reality Bites’ website 6.
The next part of the research design, a series of focus groups with students recruited through
the questionnaire, received 36 ‘interested’ responses from the question ‘Would you like to
take part in a group interview (with friends) or a focus group (with people you may not
know) about these issues?’. However only four of those who indicated they would be
interested in taking part were eventually recruited 7. Two female respondents took part in a
focus group, one male and one female respondent took part in an individual semi-structured
interview. A professional was employed to transcribe the focus group and individual
interview data8.
The alcohol postcards
The cards designed for the campaign, and referred to in this research project are copied below
and they are numbered as follows for the questionnaire analysis;
1 = It’s funny
2= The students with glasses
3= A night to remember
4= I got wasted last night
5= I’m sorry
4
Thanks to Jenny Cameron for helping to organise this.
The breakdown by halls, campus coaches and ‘reality bites’ website for the distribution of the questionnaires
is as follows;
Campus coaches = 115, St. George = 58, Victoria house = 37, Cumberland and Mckenzies = 120 (60 each),
Weir House = 60, ‘reality bites’ website = 3.
6
Thanks to Helen Kong for her help in getting the survey onto the website, and for the design of advertisement
flyer for the research.
7
The time lag between the questionnaire and the focus group/interviews was five months and this is likely to
have affected the number of those who took part in this part of the research.
8
The funding provided by ALAC was used for this purpose and was much appreciated.
5
4
5
The wording inside this card is:
…I called you a bitch,
Spilt wine on your new dress,
Vomited in the lounge,
Came on to your best friend,
Peed in the bed,
Put my hand through the window,
Ruined your party,
Crashed your car,
Gave you herpes or....
For whatever it was that made you mad?
Questionnaire results9
Out of 333 filled in questionnaires, 82 counted as ‘incompletes’. These were questionnaires
that had some but not all of the questions filled in, or some flippant answers to some
questions but serious answers to others. No questionnaire was discounted as all were
considered to have some important and useful information. In addition respondents could
pick several responses for some of the questions. Therefore not all of the data presented add
up to 333. There were 105 male and 18310 female respondents and their average age was
eighteen years.
The postcard that respondents liked best was number three (‘A night to remember…..’) with
107 respondents favouring it, the one they liked the least was number two (‘Students with
glasses…..’) with only 23 respondents favouring it. The others were ranked as follows;
Postcard 1, ‘Its Funny…..’ = 91 liked it best
Postcard 5 ‘I’m Sorry…..’ = 36 liked it best
Postcard 4 ‘I got wasted last night……’ = 29 liked it best
9
10
The questionnaire analysis has taken all 333 responses as a whole, the halls have not been separated out.
This number does not add up to 333 because of the ‘incompletes’.
6
Alcohol postcards: effectiveness and harm minimisation
In terms of harm minimisation11 questions four (a) ‘Would these cards make a difference to
people’s behaviour when they are drinking?’ and four (b) ‘Please explain your answer’ are
probably the most pertinent. 136 out of 333 respondents thought that the cards ‘would make a
difference’ to people’s drinking behaviour, 173 thought that they ‘would not make a
difference’ and 22 thought that they ‘may make a difference’. One respondent said they were
‘not sure’ and another said they thought ‘both’. These responses give a mixed view about the
effectiveness of such harm minimisation material but the important issues related to these
responses need to be noted12.
The reasons why respondents thought that the cards would not change people’s drinking
behaviour were important. Several respondents said things like ‘people just don’t care’ and
‘teenagers don’t listen to anything’ which is arguably not something that these kinds of
materials can address. Respondents also identified a binge drinking culture in student life that
would affect or be more powerful than harm minimisation information. There was also a
tendency to put forward contradictory responses to question four (b). Those that stated the
cards would not be effective often then suggested that ‘it is better to have them than not’,
‘they need to be everywhere that students drink’ (to be effective) and that ‘it does reinforce
them’ (issues related to binge drinking). Respondents also raised issues relating to the fact
that ‘some people think they don’t need education or information about alcohol related
issues’ (so the cards would not be effective) ‘but they do’ so having the cards was seen as a
good thing by these students. Others were more pessimistic and referred to problems like
‘people don’t care and they will drink anyway’, ‘people just do what they want’, ‘people
don’t care about the consequences’, and that ‘you see it in real life and behaviour doesn’t
change’. Some respondents raised the issue that because the cards are based on humour to
get the point across then they will be dismissed merely as ‘jokes’, others thought that the
images were not shocking or off-putting enough, although the effectiveness of shock tactics
in harm minimisation material has been questioned (See Hammersley, Khan and Ditton,
2002).
However, even those who stated that the card would not change people’s behaviour in
question four (b) went on to say positive things about the cards such as ‘they make you think
of the consequences (of drinking)’, ‘they may affect decisions about how much to drink’,
‘Might get people thinking’, ‘they are a good starting point’, ‘with other campaigns (they
would be effective)’. Respondents in answering this question also identified that a binge
drinking or harmful drinking culture would be difficult to change
‘This is a good starting point to raise awareness amongst varsity students. On
own, no! In conjunction with other similar campaigns, yes. To break a
culture of binge drinking will take a lot of hard work and effort’ (CC064)
its
11
Harm minimisation or harm reduction are interchangeable terms used to refer to both a philosophical
approach and specific types of programmes or interventions. As Ritter and Cameron state ‘Harm. reduction
refers to policies and programmes that are aimed at reducing the harms from drugs, but not drug use per se’
(2006 pg 611).
12
This mixed view could also be a function of the wording of the question – changing behaviour is a major
outcome. A question asking instead ‘how useful do you think these cards are in getting people to think about
their behaviour?’ may have produced a different response.
7
Others identified a binge drinking culture that was problematic and thought that the cards
were effective in drawing people’s attention to this
‘It uses humour to expose how terrible the reality of binge drinking is’ (ST48)
Alcohol postcards: design and harm minimisation
The way that the postcards were designed was also positively received by those answering
question four (b) ‘Please explain your answer’ (this refers to question four (a) ‘In your
opinion would these cards make a difference to people’s behaviour when they are
drinking?’). Respondents stated that they stood out, were relevant to students and young
people, they portrayed ‘real life’ situations that some students had also experienced, that
funny messages work to catch people’s attention and that simple messages get through.
Similarly the responses to questions two and three were very positive about the effectiveness
of the cards with students stating that the humour of the cards got a simple and
understandable message across, that the colours and pictures were eye catching and then a
powerful message was portrayed on the other side. The cards were also seen to be effective
because; the situations they illustrated were likely to happen, students said they could relate
to the situations as they had happened to a friend or to themselves, they showed the
consequences of people’s actions and made ‘you not want to experience the scenarios’. The
messages were also liked because they were not ‘over the top’ and behaviour such as unsafe
sex was identified by some respondents as ‘a result of binge drinking culture, relates to
situations I’ve been in’. Therefore the messages the cards contained were realistic.
Respondents also identified that the situations depicted on the cards were very relevant to
student culture and so struck a chord with them. There were some respondents who felt
negatively about the cards and in answer to questions about what they liked about them and
what was eye catching and effective about them said things like; ‘not much’, ‘nothing’, ‘they
will be quickly forgotten’ although these only accounted for a small number of responses
(five in total).
In addition it should be noted that even though a number of respondents stated that they did
not think the cards would change people’s behaviour they went on to identify similar issues
that could be addressed with similar material (in answering question five). The issue that had
the most responses that students thought could be addressed with similar material was safer
sex (230). Drugs were also seen as an issue that could be addressed in this way (183
responses), along with more binge drinking information (80 responses) and mental health (71
responses) 13. The issues that were most often linked together by respondents which could
usefully be targeted by similar material were safer sex and alcohol. Drugs were also
highlighted as being an issue that there was little information on that affected university
students. Students were seen by respondents as likely to experiment with drugs as well as
with sex and alcohol. The reasons why respondents thought these issues could be usefully
addressed ranged from raising awareness, particularly in relation to mental heath where
students thought judgemental attitudes and stigma were apparent, as well as lack of
information. Unsafe sex was identified by a large majority as the major issue facing students
and unsafe sex was also linked to unsafe drinking practices. Unsafe sex was seen as a major
risk associated with out of control or binge drinking (see also Hutton, 2004, 2006 & Jackson,
13
In answering this question respondents could choose more than one issue so the term responses refers to how
many times an issue was chosen not the number of respondents that chose it.
8
2004). There was also the perception that there were few campaigns about safer sex that
related to young people such as students.
Students and Alcohol
The questionnaire refers to the respondents’ actual drinking behaviour in questions six, seven,
eight and nine. It focuses on how much they drink, how often they drink, whether they think
their drinking has increased since they came to university and whether they think they drink
too much. The aim of these questions was to get some indication of the extent and patterns of
student drinking i.e. whether binge drinking is a problem for students. The responses to the
frequency of drinking occasions were as follows;
Table 1
Responses to question six: About how often do you drink?
Frequency of drinking occasions
Never
1-2 times a week
3-4 times a week
5-6 times a week
Every day
Total
Number of respondents
37
187
74
8
5
311
Some respondents indicated their number of drinking occasions by picking two or more of
the categories. These responses are shown in table two below;
Table 2
Other responses to question six: About how often do you drink?
Frequency of drinking occasions
once or twice a month
never or 1-2 times a week (circled both or
in between)
1-2 times a week or 3-4 times a week
(circled both or in between)
3-4 times a week or 5-6 times a week
(circled both or in between)
Total
Number of respondents
2
1
6
1
10
These responses show that the frequency of drinking occasions are often quite low, the
largest number of respondents drinking only once or twice a week (187). There are also a
significant number of respondents that never drink (37) which is perhaps surprising in this
sample population. Also encouraging is that the number of respondents who stated that they
drank every day is very small (5). However taken in conjunction with the responses to
question eight it would appear that student drinking for this sample follows a ‘typical’ binge
drinking pattern. Therefore it is not the frequency of drinking occasions that is cause for
concern but the quantity of alcohol consumed on each drinking occasion. The responses to
9
question eight (how many drinks would you say you consumed in a big night out….?) 14 were
as follows;
Table 3
Responses to question eight: How many drinks would you say you consumed in a big
night out….?
Number of drinks
Number of respondents
None
1-2
3-4
5-6
7-8
9-10
11-12
13-15
16-18
18 or more
Total
2715
24
43
39
58
43
26
21
8
8
297
Some respondents indicated the number of drinks they consumed by picking two or more of
the categories. These responses are shown in table three below;
Table 3
Other responses to question eight: How many drinks would you say you consumed in a
big night out….?
Number of drinks
Number of respondents
5-6 / 7-8
9-10 / 13-15
7-8 / 9-10
7-8 / 11-12
13-15 / 16-18
7-8 / 9-10 / 11-12 / 13-15
3-4 / 5-6
9-10 / 11-12
Total
4
2
4
2
1
1
2
1
17
These responses indicate that 218 students in this sample can be identified as binge drinkers,
43 are borderline binge drinkers and only 51 do not come under the classification of binge
14
This question could be problematic as it asks for the number of drinks per ‘big’ night out. The amount per
session may have been recorded as less by respondents if the question had asked ‘how many drinks would you
consume on a typical night out?’ instead.
15
This is interesting as it does not correspond with the number of respondents who identified themselves as
never drinking.
10
drinkers16. In answer to question seven (has your drinking increased since you came to
university?) perhaps unsurprisingly 148 respondents said it had, 87 said it had not, 18
respondents thought their drinking had gone down and 66 thought it had stayed the same.
Therefore alcohol consumption increased on arriving at university, supporting the idea that
drinking or binge drinking is an ingrained part of student culture.
Question nine asked respondents whether they thought they drank too much and only 30
thought that they did. 159 stated that they did not think they drank too much and 108 said that
they sometimes thought they drank too much. Although these responses are quite positive in
that only 29 students from this sample thought that they drank too much, there are a
significant number who also thought ‘sometimes they drank too much’. Clearly students are
aware that their drinking is at times harmful and harm minimisation information could be
usefully designed to try and intervene or stop the hazardous drinking sessions. As some of the
respondents highlighted, information on how to stop binge drinking would be very useful.
The next set of questions asked students about the risks they took when they had been
drinking (question ten) and about how safe they felt in Wellington (question eleven and
eleven (b)). These responses highlight that the harms associated with alcohol are not just
related to its consumption. Safety and risk taking are linked to drinking alcohol as is unsafe
sex and going home with a stranger.
The two highest ranking risk taking behaviours that got the most responses 17 were walking
home late alone, 138 responses, and going home with someone you don’t know, 57
responses. Perhaps surprisingly the next most risky behaviour was driving after drinking
alcohol, 39 responses, with unsafe sex highlighted in this question as the least risky
behaviour with 32 responses. This could be seen as contradicting the responses to question
five where respondents stated that unsafe sex is the issue that needs the most attention with
similar campaigns. This contradiction could be explained because;
-
Students perceive that unsafe sex is an issue that needs attention and that the students
in this sample did not engage in this type of behaviour18
-
Students may have been unwilling to state on the questionnaire that they had unsafe
sex, but were happy to identify it as an issue that needed attention and information.
-
Going home with someone you don’t know could be construed as a situation where
sex would take place. Therefore this category (going home with someone you don’t
know) and unsafe sex could be merged into one category. This would mean it is the
second highest ranked risk taking behaviour with 88 responses.
In response to questions eleven and eleven (b) about feeling safe getting home after drinking
in Wellington, sixty students said they felt safe getting home ‘all of the time’. 143
respondents reported that they felt safe ‘most of the time’ and sixty seven felt safe
16
This does depend on which definition is used and whether the respondents are male or female - the data for
this question has not been correlated with male/female. This is based on the definition given by Casswell and
Bhatta (2001) of four drinks per drinking occasion for women, 6 drinks per drinking occasion for men. ‘Binge
drinkers’ in this instance have been counted as those who drink 5-6 drinks or more per session.
17
In answering this question respondents could choose more than one issue so the term responses refers to how
many times an issue was chosen not the number of respondents that chose it.
18
Further research could examine what these perceptions are influenced by e.g. media, peer group behaviour.
11
‘sometimes’ getting home after drinking. There were a variety of reasons that contributed to
students feeling safe, relating either to the environment or to their own behaviour. Wellington
was seen as a safe city with good street lighting and busy crowded streets (33 responses).
Respondents also reported feeling safe because they were always with friends or people they
knew (60 responses), went home with a group of friends at the end of the night (11 responses)
or caught a taxi (15 responses). Public transport was noted by seven respondents as helping
them feel safe with midnight buses and a good reliable bus service in general.
Only twenty three respondents said that they ‘never’ felt safe in getting home after drinking
and when reasons were cited for feeling unsafe they often related to other people referred to
as ‘weirdos’, ‘dodgy old men’, ‘creeps’ and ‘dodgy drunks’ (18 responses). The city
environment was also responsible for students feeling unsafe with dark streets (10 responses)
and ‘dodgy’ places (11 responses) contributing to fear of being victimised. Being in a ‘big
city’ like Wellington in itself contributed to feeling unsafe for those who came from smaller
towns (7 responses) as did the fact that they were new to the area and so did not know their
way around and which places to avoid (10 responses). Newspaper reporting and stories about
other people’s victimisations were also cited as reasons for feeling unsafe (10 responses).
Only five respondents reported their own or friend’s previous victimisation as a reason for
feeling unsafe.
Focus groups and individual interviews
As outlined earlier the recruitment for the focus groups did not go according to plan.
However some qualitative data was obtained from four respondents and some exploration of
the issues raised in the questionnaire in more detail was possible. The main focus for this part
of the research project was to identify how effective the postcards were in raising awareness
or changing binge drinking behaviour and how they could be improved. The focus group and
interviews also asked participants for some information about their drinking such as where
they were most likely to drink alcohol, how much alcohol they drank and whether their
drinking had changed since they started university.
The two students who took part in the focus group were both female and were of the opinion
that the cards were not effective because
‘I know how to drink responsibly like everyone does it’s just that they choose
to’ (Female 1, focus group)
not
‘..it’s not really about awareness because everyone’s aware of what it does’
(Female 2, focus group)
When asked why some students chose not to drink responsibly the two participants said that
it was more fun to be really drunk and that peer pressure affected some people. They also
identified that there was a drinking culture attached to student life, although they stated that
they did not tend to drink very heavily themselves. For both participants they last drank about
two weeks previously and had a couple of whiskey and cokes or a couple of glasses of wine
at home. Both women also disliked going out ‘in town’ (Wellington CBD) because it was
very crowded and they did not like the music that most bars played. However because of this
they both said that if they did go into town then they would not go sober so their alcohol
consumption would increase dramatically. They also agreed that being sober around drunk
people was not much fun. Once ‘in town’ one participant identified RTDs (‘ready to drink’s’)
12
as convenient because they were cheap and not as strong as other drinks such as whiskey and
coke or vodka and tonic. Both participants stated that they drank what was cheap and
available and did not really have a specific drink of choice. What was interesting was that one
of the female respondents stated that it took her a whole year to find out the
‘…amount I should drink that would make me drunk and happy without being
sick
and for the right time period. So you’re not still really drunk when you
come home and
want to go to bed’
(Female 1, focus group)
Drinking alcohol was therefore identified as a learned experience, something that needed to
be thought about and practiced in order to get it right. Both participants also referred to the
fact that they had a ‘limit’ when it came to drinking and that it was important to stick to this
limit
‘It’s just a matter of knowing what your limit is and just sticking to it. It’s like I
know how I can drink, I just won’t drink any more if I know I’ve had what I
know I can drink’
(Female 2, focus group)
Both participants in the focus groups also stated that experimenting with alcohol was the only
way to find out what their limit was and how to keep themselves safe. In addition they agreed
that there was nothing that could help them do that
‘You’ve got to find out for yourself how strong, how much, how long, all that
of thing’
(Female 2, focus group)
sort
However although both participants were adamant that safe and responsible drinking meant
that a limit was set and stuck to they also both agreed that they could quite easily be tempted
from this limit
‘…..have another one or whatever. I mean one thing I’ve found when I’ve gone
clubbing is someone will buy a shaker19 and we will just all share it’
(Female 1, focus group)
And that
‘When you get drunk you’re not as good at controlling yourself’
(Female 2, focus group)
‘When someone offers you another one and you’re already quite tipsy then it’s
likely you’re going to take it’
(Female 1, focus group)
So the two female respondents appear to contradict themselves in their responses; they drink
responsibly and set limits but are easily tempted from them, especially when they have
19
A ‘shaker’ or a ‘shot shaker’ is a large alcoholic drink, usually spirit based that is shared between several
people in shot glasses. It is also a cheap way to drink.
13
already been drinking. It would appear that they know how to drink responsibly but choose
not to at certain times, as they stated at the start of the focus group.
Both focus group participants liked the postcards and thought they were well done because
they used humour and referred to relevant situations. They thought card number four (I got
wasted…..) was ‘depressing’ because
‘It’s quite a real situation. Like it’s not really one you could get out of easily,
especially because it sort of implies that she might have had her drink spiked or
something which is hard to avoid’
(Female 1, focus group)
Although they both agreed that it would not happen to them because their friends were their
‘safety net’ as they always looked after each other and made sure nobody was in an
isolated situation. If somebody was very drunk or sick from drinking then they would make
sure they got home safely.
‘And one thing I always feel is that if a friend gets really drunk and starts vomiting it
will be a matter of get together and find a way to take them home’
(Female 1, focus group)
The focus group discussion also emphasised that there are several issues affecting how
people drink and that these were related to parental attitudes, friends and peer group. This is
one of the reasons that the focus group thought the cards would not be effective past making
people think for a moment at the time they read them.
‘I don’t really think it’s the cards that do it, like they do anything. It’s more your
circle of friends or people you associate with who give you the rules so to speak of
how you drink and all that and also how you’re brought up as well because,
like some
parents don’t really care. And if your parents are there for you all the
time then you are
less likely to just go off and do stupid things’.
(Female 2, focus group)
They also agreed that there was an increase in people’s drinking in the first month of being at
university but that after that most people settled down and had to focus on their study. It was
also stated that alcohol bans in hostels were in place for the first two weeks of term but that
‘everyone tried to get round them’ (Female 1, focus group)
and that
‘….it goes unnoticed but they might turn a bit of a blind eye because the RAs
know they’ve all been there, done that’
(Female 1, focus group)
you
Although both respondents did state that there should be limits to people’s behaviour if they
were sick in rooms, corridors, bathrooms. When talking about other’s drinking it appeared
that noise was the main issue with people banging on doors looking for friends
‘Yes I had that happen to me. It’s not, when they go out to town but when they
home at four in the morning and start knocking on doors’
(Female 1, focus group)
get
14
When asked to consider the term ‘binge drinking’ both participants agreed that it was a bad
thing, a negative term but that
‘Everyone does it but they don’t admit to it’
(Female 2, focus group)
‘Binge drinking’ was also defined as drinking several drinks an hour and ‘To purposely drink
a lot so that they get drunk in a short period of time’ (Female 2, focus group). Both
respondents agreed that at certain times their drinking behaviour could be
identified as binge drinking. For example, if they were going to go out ‘in town’ then they
would drink most of their alcohol for the night at home before they went, then ‘top up’ with
RTDs or ‘shakers’. Buying alcohol in bars and clubs was expensive so this way of drinking
meant that they avoided having to buy alcohol whilst out. Both women also had rules to try to
drink responsibly or to keep safe whilst out ‘in town’. For example they drank more slowly
before going out, ate something before bed, drank water before bed, stuck with their friends,
and always carried a cell phone. When asked about ways to improve the cards or to minimise
harms from binge drinking they both identified that information on how to reduce risks or
that emphasised harm reduction strategies would be useful.
‘Probably promoting going out with a group of friends, but just promoting the
fact
that you should stick with people you know who will look after you’
(Female 2, focus
group)
The questionnaire showed that students thought ‘drugs’ was an area that could usefully be
addressed by similar material (183 responses). When asked to expand on the term ‘drugs’ the
two female focus group participants stated that ecstasy and party pills 20 were the two kinds of
drugs that students would need information about. However they also identified that legal
prescriptions for things like antibiotics could be harmful when mixed with alcohol and that
harm reduction information could usefully highlight this issue.
To end the focus group both participants were asked to identify one good thing and one bad
thing about the postcards. The good thing was that they were realistic and the bad thing was
that they would not be taken seriously.
The two individual interviewees (one female and one male) identified similar issues
compared to the focus group. The first respondent (Male, interview) stated that the last time
he drank alcohol was approximately two weeks ago, at a friends flat and that he consumed
about six beers. He also stated that he had not been drinking as much this academic year
because he wanted to make sure he passed his courses – he had failed one the previous year
which he related to his drinking and socialising. He also tended to drink before going out ‘in
town’ and that this was due to the price of alcohol in bars and clubs. The positive thing this
respondent noted about the cards was the humour involved but also that the ‘night to
remember’ card was not obviously about drinking. It had no beer bottle or glasses on it so this
respondent thought that people would see the humorous picture and then want to see what it
was about. If cards were obviously about alcohol he was of the opinion that they would be
ignored and that campaigns would reach more people if they were disguised in some way and
not obviously related to drinking in the first instance.
20
Party pills or ‘herbal highs’ as they are sometimes referred to were originally developed to mimic the effects
of methamphetamine. They were also marketed as a legal alternative to drugs such as ecstasy and speed for club
goers. BZP-based party pills are now illegal in New Zealand.
15
‘Yeah I think I quite like this one too (a night to remember). It has a funny picture on
it so you want to see what it’s all about really. So you grab it and might read it or with the
other ones they had a more serious, you can see it and
you know it’s about drinking
straight away and it’s like whatever.’ (Male,
interview)
He also stated as with the focus group participants that another good thing about the cards
was that they were realistic and he could relate to the situations especially ‘It’s funny…’
‘Oh yes you can relate to that, you’ve seen it, you’ve probably done it yourself,
so
yeah’
(Male, interview)
The ‘I’m Sorry’ card was also liked by this respondent as he thought some of the minor
things in it could relate to things he had done or could see himself doing. He thought that
‘You could see yourself grabbing a few and giving them to your friends at some
point’
(Male interview)
He also liked it because it was different to the others so it stood out compared to them. The ‘I
got wasted…’ and ‘Student with glasses….’ cards were seen as being obviously about
alcohol so he did not like them as much as the other three. ‘I got wasted…’ was also seen as
being gender specific and not relevant to him.
When asked about whether the cards were a good thing he stated that
‘If you’re interested or you want to know anything about it then they’ll be helpful but
if you’re not you’d read it and just like it doesn’t, yeah I don’t think
its
anything
particularly different from anything else that’s been done before really to do with like
drinking and stuff anyway’
(Male interview)
He also identified that there were many campaigns related to alcohol and thought that
‘I think sort of have to stand out quite a bit now because its advertising like the one
advertising thing which often gets a bit of a reaction is the ad on TV that swings the kid
round and gets smacked sort of thing.’
(Male interview)
This respondent also referred to another TV advertisement that was effective for him as a
young man
‘I also like the mate ad where they keep saying mate and then they don’t. I
don’t know, just because I’m a guy or something because you’re like gutted for
him’ (Male interview)
In this interview the respondent agreed with the focus group comments that student life had a
drinking culture attached to it. He also stated that his drinking increased a lot
16
when he first started university but that it had tailed off since. This was mainly due to him
wanting to focus on his studying as he failed a paper the year before. He also highlighted that
universities or students associations tended to promote events that are alcohol orientated but
that Victoria University was not as bad as some for doing so. He referred to drinking alcohol
as a youth rite of passage when students had left home for the first time and agreed with the
focus group in that he had grown out of drinking to some extent due to moving out of student
hostels and wanting to focus more on studying.
‘It’s all like you leave home to go to university generally and then it’s like well
you’ve left home you can do whatever you want. And try you know, get drunk as
much as I want to and have a bit of fun sort of thing’
(Male interview)
‘I was in a hostel so the whole hostel thing is you drink heaps and heaps in a
hostel because there’s always someone somewhere having an open party and
you
can just if you’re bored or there’s nothing to do you can just go and join in’
(Male
interview)
Of interest is that the male respondent was the only one in this part of the research to mention
hangovers as a deterrent. He said he knew nothing about hangovers and then
‘The first university party I went to I had a really really bad hangover the next
day, never had a hangover before. I just felt like crap the whole day’
(Male interview)
This respondent also stated that he suffered from bad hangovers if he drank too much and that
it was a waste of a whole day because he felt so ill. He thought that information on how to
avoid hangovers could be a double edged sword as getting hangovers could limit people’s
drinking but having the information would help them to ease the harm to themselves the next
day. He also talked about RU21 which can be ordered from the internet
‘…called RU21 that’s these pills that stop you from getting a hangover. I’ve
tried them and they actually work. I don’t know if it’s a good thing or a bad
thing. It could be a pretty bad thing because you don’t get a hangover any more’
(Male interview)
In response to questions about binge drinking this participant highlighted that for him it was
related to age and that
‘If you’re an older person and you said you were a binge drinker I’d probably
think that its kind of weird, but if you’re young and a student well you wouldn’t say
you were a binge drinker, if you did it’s like well that’s just being normal you know because
you’re a student’
(Male interview)
When asked to expand on the term ‘drugs’ as the focus group had been this participant
highlighted that marihuana was the most popular drug amongst students although in his
opinion most people knew about the effects of marihuana so would not need information
about it. Ecstasy was highlighted as a popular drug amongst students and as a substance that
information was most needed about.
17
To end the interview the participant identified one good thing and one bad thing about the
postcards. The good thing was that they were funny and used humour and the bad thing was
that they would not be picked up in the first place.
The female interviewee identified issues that corresponded with both the questionnaire
responses and the other three focus group and interview participants. She stated that the last
time she drank was at a party at a friend’s flat and that she drank about twice a week. She
reported the largest amount of alcohol consumed at 750mls (a bottle of fortified wine). This
corresponds with the pattern of drinking identified in the questionnaire 21 and highlights that it
is not the frequency of drinking occasions that is problematic but the amount consumed at
each drinking occasion. She also stated that she did not drink by herself or go out alone, was
always with friends, and that
‘I just buy a bottle of wine and I don’t expect to drink more than that but I will if
sometimes I do finish it, if someone offers me another drink then usually I’ll take it
yes. No I never really have a set limit in my mind’
(Female interview)
The cards were seen in a positive light because they were humorous and relevant to situations
that this participant or her friends had been in. She preferred the ‘I’m sorry….’ card because
‘I think it’s quite relevant. I live with a couple and you know sometimes that
happens, they have a fight when they’re drunk or spew up on each other or spill
something and end up fighting about it’ (Female interview)
And ‘It’s funny….’ Because
‘That one you see that all the time, all the time, and then sometimes they wake
and they’re walking around……!’
(Female interview)
up
The ‘I got wasted…’ card was seen as ‘okay’ and as the ‘thing that’s always hauled out’
about young women and risk, with this respondent feeling that it was not relevant to her. ‘A
night to remember…’ was seen as using humour effectively and ‘student with glasses…’ was
seen as having a good message. Again this was relevant and realistic for this participant as
she stated she would miss an early class if she had a hangover. Although she also identified
that not many students would see this as a problem.
‘I don’t think too many students are worried about missing a class. ……if you’ve got
a tutorial or something, you have to go and bear it’
(Female interview)
When asked about the effectiveness of the cards she stated that they were ‘one of the best
ways I’ve seen to make people aware (of binge drinking)’ and that a way to improve them
might be
21
Most of the questionnaire respondents stated that they 1-2 times a week with 7-8 drinks being consumed per
session.
18
‘Maybe like a personal anecdote on the back, just an anonymous anecdote that’s
insightful to people. There’s statistics on the back and some people just say oh
statistics, it’s just a small number, reading someone’s story might kind of put
them off, more relevant’
(Female interview)
This interviewee was also asked to give a definition of ‘binge drinking’ and in common with
the other participants in the focus group and interview she stated that it would be someone
who would
‘Go out to get drunk you don’t want to drink unless you’re quite drunk, and just
certain nights of the week, yeah’
(Female interview)
on
So she identified a binge drinker as someone who drank in ‘splurges’ who did not drink every
day. However she also thought that binge drinking was not specifically associated with
student culture but that it was a young person’s issue in general. When she came to university
the change of environment from country to town contributed to increasing her drinking
because
‘Well mainly I used to live out in the country and would have to drive to get to a
party. I used to be the sober driver quite a lot and now I just walk to and from
the
club’
(Female interview)
She also thought that people’s drinking hit a high when they first started university but that it
slowed down. At first the novelty of being away from home was a contributing factor but
then it became repetitive to do the same thing all the time.
‘I guess you know just being away from home you can drink as much as you
want, it’s all new and exciting, bit of a novelty. Maybe just a little bored with it,
repetition you end up doing the same thing and going to the same clubs ….’
(Female interview)
In common with the other three respondents this interviewee drank at home before going out
in to town. She also referred to RTDs and that she bought them because they were easy and
handy as they were already mixed. Another appealing factor about RTDs for this respondent
was that they came in packs of four so her and her friends could swap the different flavours
around.
When asked about the effectiveness of the cards she stated that peer pressure was something
the cards would need to overcome
‘Well, I think when you’re with a large group of people and if everyone’s getting
drunk you don’t really want to be the one saying oh this could happen to us or
stuff like that, you just want to go well whatever everyone else is doing’
(Female interview)
This respondent also stated that something that would limit her drinking would be
19
‘I think if my friends told me I was really horrible when I was drunk or I think
other people’s judgements on you would make you think I don’t want to be like that
again’
(Female interview)
She thought the cards could perhaps be improved by including
‘Embarrassing things. I’ve been you know denied getting into a club before
because obviously the bouncer could see that I was too drunk to be allowed in
and
you know it’s really embarrassing in front of your friends. Something on the
cards like
‘a quick end to the night’’
(Female interview)
When asked to expand on the term ‘drugs’ as the focus group and male interviewee had been
this participant highlighted that marihuana and ecstasy were the two most popular illegal
drugs amongst students. In common with the male interviewee she felt that most people knew
something about marihuana but that
‘I think ecstasy because I don’t even know if it’s an addictive drug. I don’t know
what the long term effects are, I don’t really know anything about it but I know that
a lot of people use it. So I think more general knowledge, awareness of it’
(Female interview)
To end the interview the participant identified one good thing and one bad thing about the
postcards. The good thing was that they used humour and the bad thing was that they would
just be looked at and thrown away.
Discussion
It is clear from the data that the students in this sample were aware of ‘binge drinking’ and
that this way of drinking often caused harms to health and wellbeing. Binge drinking was
referred to by respondents as a bad, negative thing. Binge drinking behaviour was defined as
drinking a large amount of alcohol in a short space of time, and as drinking only to get drunk.
It is also clear that there is a binge drinking culture associated with student life, so much so
that one respondent stated that binge drinking was ‘normal’ for students. However this could
also be a function of age as research shows that heavy drinking is higher during the early
adult years. Casswell, Pledger and Pratap (2002) found that heavy drinking peaked at age
twenty one and then began to decline. Therefore a number of interrelated circumstances such
as age and leaving home could be argued to contribute to this kind of binge drinking culture
at university. There was also an indication from the focus group and interview data that binge
drinking for students peaks in the first few months of university life then settles down as
financial and study pressures begin to become apparent.
Alcohol is often linked to risk taking behaviour and several risk taking behaviours were
identified through the questionnaire responses such as ‘walking home alone’, ‘going home
with someone you don’t know’, driving and unsafe sex. Jackson (2004; 61) found that his
sample of UK clubbers argued alcohol ‘blunts all the edges’ and they also linked alcohol with
undesirable behaviours such as promiscuity, violence and aggression. Female clubbers in
Manchester identified alcohol as a substance that made them take risks in terms of safer
sexual behaviour and personal safety (Hutton, 2006). Wellington clubbers also identified
20
alcohol as a risky substance stating that whilst drunk they took risks in terms of aggression,
personal safety and safer sexual behaviour.
The focus group and interview participants stated that they avoided risks such as walking
home alone by always making sure they stayed with friends (only the three female
respondents referred to safety). This contradiction is probably due to the small sample size of
those who engaged with this part of the research.
The students who took part in the focus group and individual interviews also tried to limit or
reduce the harms from their consumption of alcohol. Strategies like leaving bank cards at
home limited the amount of alcohol consumed although this could be derailed through others
buying ‘shakers’ or offering to buy more alcohol drinks. The focus group and interview
respondents all stated that if they went ‘into town’ then they drank their ‘safe’ limit (or nearly
all of it) at home beforehand. Therefore it is in these club and bar based scenarios that
respondents stated they were likely to be tempted from their ‘safe’ limit because they were
already intoxicated.
These four participants also supported the questionnaire data with the reasons they gave as to
why the postcards would not stop students from drinking. The reasons they gave were; the
drinking culture attached to student life, peer pressure, drinking irresponsibly was something
‘everybody’ did even though they knew it was a bad thing because it was fun, young people
‘grow out of’ binge drinking behaviour. Respondents also identified several interrelated
factors that affect drinking behaviour that corresponded with academic research in this field
such as parental attitudes (see Casswell, Pledger and Pratap, 2002). Therefore the reasons any
group of people drink in the way that they do are complex and intertwined making it difficult
to address such a complex set of issues in harm reduction campaigns.
However, campaigns like the alcohol postcards do not and could not claim to do this, to
address such complex sets of issues. What they do well is to target vulnerable populations,
raise awareness and keep a high level of awareness about binge drinking, as well as giving
information about where to go for help with binge drinking problems. One of the problems in
developing campaigns of this nature is the lack of evaluation information about them. Also
the literature available that does discuss evaluation of harm reduction information focuses on
illegal drugs and/or HIV. There are also problems within the academic and policy literature
relating to terminology. ‘Social media’ is often used as a broad overarching term for a
number of diverse campaigns or interventions (see O’Donnell, 2006). ‘Education and
information’ is another (see Ritter and Cameron, 2006). Therefore drawing conclusions about
the effectiveness of previous campaigns is problematic leading to difficulties in designing and
developing further harm reduction initiatives.
The questionnaire respondents and the focus group and interview participants in their
comments about the design of the cards raised a number of issues. Many of the respondents
thought that the designs were effective and that the alcohol postcards were a good example of
how to do this type of campaign well. Although respondents were sceptical about the extent
to which the cards would change students drinking patterns they also highlighted that specific
targeted material such as the alcohol cards are very effective in raising awareness and getting
information out to certain vulnerable groups. 22 Both the questionnaire respondents and the
22
Leaflets are cited as a popular source of information for those aged from 16-20 years (see Hammersley, Khan
and Ditton, 2002).
21
focus group/interview participants identified several areas that could usefully be addressed
with similar campaigns. The highest ranked issue was unsafe sex (230 responses) closely
followed by drugs (183 responses). It was perceived that there was a lack of information
about these kinds of issues for groups such as students. However there are several kinds of
information available about unsafe sex and drug use such as; a Ministry of Health booklet
‘Dance party goers, what U should know’, Community Alcohol and Drug Services website
(www.cads.org.nz/sorted), Foundation for alcohol and drug Education website
(www.fade.org.nz), URGE website (www.urge.co.nz). The responses from this research
project indicate that the young people who took part are not aware of these resources.
Therefore these kinds of campaigns need more exposure or they need to be tailored to the
needs of the student population. Jones (2004) notes that drug policy and prevention has
increasingly moved towards targeted interventions rather than generic programmes,
suggesting that campaigns such as the alcohol postcards are effective in raising awareness
and giving information about particular issues to specific groups such as students. In addition
a report produced by the Ministry of Youth Development in 2003, although again focussed
on drug education, highlighted the need for targeted programmes and stated that populationwide programmes need to be ‘adaptable to account for differences between groups’ (Ministry
of Youth Development, 2003 pg7).
Therefore the data highlight that the cards are a positive resource that make people think
about their behaviour and consumption of alcohol whilst raising awareness about binge
drinking, rather than having a direct effect on behaviour change. Some researchers (see
O’Donnell, 2006) have noted that social media messages are effective as part of a wider or
broader campaign and in the context of New Zealand this is how they are being used. Others
(see Ritter and Cameron, 2006) have highlighted that education and information campaigns
have a positive effect on behaviour change. The aims of producing such harm minimisation
material become pertinent here. If the aim is to make people think about the way they drink
and how they behave when they are drinking then the postcards campaign is a success.
Therefore what the cards or any harm minimisation material is designed for is very important
and expectations about what such campaigns can achieve need to be realistic.
Conclusions
Overall the alcohol postcards campaign was seen to have many positive features. The design
of the cards and the fact that they were realistic and relevant to young people and students
was their one of their best features, as was the fact that they used humour to get across
serious messages. This is echoed in international research as Hammersley, Khan and Ditton
(2002) showed that sources of information about drugs that were not popular were those that
had shocking images such as television advertisements and posters. The young people in their
study (16-20yr olds) did not see these kinds of images as relevant to them as they
contradicted their experiences. Young people believe their own and their friend’s experiences
so when shocking (or any other) media image contradicts an experience they ignore the
media message (Hammersley, Khan and Ditton, 2002).
The general consensus across the research project was that the cards were useful in getting
information across about particular issues like binge drinking, and in raising awareness but
that they would not stop students from binge drinking. A number of reasons were identified
for this, mainly related to drinking as fun, as part of student life and as something that all
young people did before maturing and growing out of it
22
Targeted campaigns designed for specific audiences are seen to be the most effective and can
make a positive contribution to reducing the harms associated with alcohol consumption.
Drug education programmes are increasingly moving away from emphasising abstinence to
reducing the harms associated with early onset of drug use and poly drug use. Therefore
messages aimed at encouraging students to avoid binge drinking and to drink responsibly
would appear to be the most likely to have an effect and to disseminate the factual
information that young people say that they want (Hammersley, Khan and Ditton, 2002). It
should also be noted that 136 respondents thought that the alcohol postcards would make a
difference to people’s behaviour and 22 thought that they may make a difference to people’s
behaviour. This accounts for 47% of the questionnaire sample who thought that the cards
would or may work to change binge drinking behaviour. In addition it has been argued that
there is no one approach to reducing alcohol related harm (O’Donnell, 2006). Targeted
campaigns like the alcohol postcards are invaluable in raising awareness about issues such as
binge drinking and in getting specific groups to consider their behaviour in relation to
substance or alcohol use. They can compliment and work in tandem with wider, broader
national campaigns and in the words of one respondent ‘It is better to have them than not’.
23
References
‘The Way We drink’ 2005 executive summary, ALAC Occasional Publication no.27
http://www.alac.org.nz/DBTextworks/PDF/WayWeDrink2005ExecSummary.pdf (accessed
29.8.08)
Bhatta, K. and Casswell, S. (2001), A Decade of Drinking: Ten Year Trends in Drinking
Patterns
in
Auckland,
New
Zealand,
1990-1999,
available
online
at
www.aphru.ac.nz/projects/decade%20summary.htm
Casswell, S., Pledger, M. and Pratap, S. (2002), ‘Trajectories of Drinking from 18-26 Years:
Identification and Prediction’, Addiction, 97: 1427-1437.
Casswell, S. and Maxwell, A. (2005), ‘What Works to Reduce Alcohol-Related Harm and
Why Aren’t the Policies More Popular?’, Social Policy Journal of New Zealand, 25: 118-141
Dacey, B. and Barnes, M. H. (1998), Te Ao Waipiro: Maori and Alcohol in 1995. Auckland:
Whariki Maori Health Research Group.
Hammerlsy, R., Khan, F. and Ditton, J. (2002), ‘Ecstasy and the Rise of the Chemical
Generation, Routlege, London.
Hutton, F. (2004). Up for it, mad for it? Women, drug use and participation in club spaces.
Health Risk and Society, 6, 223-237.
Hutton, F. (2006). Risky Pleasures? Club cultures and feminine identities. Aldershot:
Ashgate.
Jackson, P. (2004). Inside Clubbing: Sensual experiments in the art of being human. New
York: Oxford.
Jones, M. (2004), Anxiety and containment in the risk society: theorising young people and
drug prevention policy. International Journal of Drug Policy, 15, 367-376.
Measham, F. (2004), ‘The Decline of Ecstasy, the Rise of ‘Binge’ Drinking and the
Persistence of Pleasure, Probation Journal, 51: 309-326.
Ministry of Youth Development. (2003) ‘Effective Drug Education for Young People: A
Literature Review and Analysis. www.myd.govt.nz (accessed 19.8.08)
O’Donnell, B. (2006), Reducing harm and changing culture: Scotland’s national Plan for
Action on Alcohol Problems. International Journal of Drug Policy, 17, 367-372.
Ritter, A., & Cameron, J. (2006). A review of the efficacy and effectiveness of harm
reduction strategies for alcohol, tobacco and illicit drugs. Drug and Alcohol Review, 25, 611624.
24
Appendix one
Alcohol postcards questionnaire
Questionnaire about alcohol postcards and alcohol use
Please circle your answers
1. Have you noticed /picked up/seen/been aware of these postcards?
Yes
No
Where did you see them? ………………………………………………………
2. Which one do you like best?
Why? ...................................................................................................................
3. What is eye catching or effective about it?
…………………………………………………………………………………..
………………………………………………………………………………….
4. In your opinion would these cards make a difference to people’s behaviour when they
are drinking?
Yes
No
Please explain your answer……………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………
5.
What issues do you think could be helpfully addressed with similar material?
25
Drugs
Safer Sex
Mental health
More binge drinking information
Other (please state) …………………………………………………………….
Can you explain why you think this would be useful?
............................................................................................................................
..............................................................................................................................
6. About how often do you drink?
Never
1-2 times a week
3-4 times a week
5-6 times a week
Every day
7. Has this increased since you came to university?
Yes
No
Gone down
Stayed the same
8. How many alcoholic drinks would you say you consumed in a big night out e.g.
friend’s birthday, Saturday night, watching a big rugby match/sporting event?
None
1-2
16-18
3-4
5-6
18 or more
7-8
9-10
11-12
13-15
9. Do you think you drink too much?
Yes
No
Sometimes
Please explain your answer……………………………………………………..
10. While out drinking have you ever taken risks that you wouldn’t normally take such as;
26
Going home with someone you don’t know
Walking home late alone
Having unsafe sex
Driving
Other (please describe)………………………………………………………….
11. Do you feel safe in Wellington getting home after you have been drinking?
All the time
Sometimes
Most of the time
Never
Please explain your answer e.g. why you do/do not feel safe
…………………………………………………………………………………..
…………………………………………………………………………………..
12. Would you like to take part in a group interview (with friends) or a focus group (with
people you may not know) about these issues?
Yes
No
If ‘yes’ please supply the following contact details
Mobile ………………………..
E-mail………………………..
Preferred method of contact………………………………….
13.
Male
Age:………………
Female
Hall of Residence……………….
Thank you for your participation   
Appendix Two
Alcohol Postcards Research ‘Flyer’ (Designed by Helen Kong)
27
Interested in Drinking?
We want YOU for research!
Vic Uni criminology lecturer wants your opinion about alcohol use.
Surveys will take place in halls and online
(www.realitybites.ac.nz) in Feb/Mar 2008.
If you have questions or want to take part, phone 463 6749 or
email [email protected].
28