NCJ Number
154062
Journal
Youth Studies Australia Volume: 14 Issue: 1 Dated: (Autumn 1995) Pages: 41-45
Date Published
1995
Length
5 pages
Annotation
This article describes the Cheers Drink Safe Program in Melbourne, Australia, as an example of an alcohol education program based on harm minimization.
Abstract
Traditional alcohol education programs have adopted the information model, the individual deficiency model, or the social pressures model, all of which deny young people any sense of autonomy or status. Most of these programs are unsuccessful in reducing adolescent drinking rates because the message delivery is irrelevant and boring to target populations. The Cheers Drink Safe program recognizes that young people are capable of identifying their own issues, they have responsibilities and rights, they make decisions out of both agency and social constraints, and they are not a monolithic bloc following a normative etiology. Harm minimization seeks to diminish the harm inflicted by alcohol on drinkers, their family, and friends, without necessarily eliminating all alcohol use. The Cheers Drink Safe program uses computer simulation of drinking activities, role play, and discussion to encourage students to reflect on their choices and to practice strategies that deal with the potential harm inherent in those choices. 1 figure and 13 references