Young women have the power of saying “no thanks” to drinking

The next phase of a Queensland Government campaign to encourage young women to reduce alcohol consumption has commenced, Health Minister Stephen Robertson said today.

“The Young Women and Alcohol campaign aims at empowering young women to make their own choices about drinking,” he said.

“We all have a drink over the festive season and alcohol is fine in moderation.

“But binge drinking, or drinking heavily over a period of time, can have some serious health and social consequences.

“At the end of the day, it’s up to the individual to make the choice to drink responsibly.”

Mr Robertson said the latest phase of the Young Women & Alcohol campaign will involve advertising in cinemas, magazines, television; as well as in bars and nightclubs.

“We’re not interested in lecturing young women about the dangers of excessive drinking – that just wouldn’t work.

“This is all about encouraging and supporting young women to make their own choices about drinking.

“I’m pleased that fewer young women in Queensland are drinking to harmful levels since we first launched the campaign in 2004.

“We’ve seen the proportion of young Queensland women aged 18 to 22 years drinking at high-risk levels (5+ drinks per day) drop significantly from 60% in 2004 to 42% in 2007.

“At the same time, the number of young women drinking at low-risk levels (up to 2 drinks per day), has risen from 17% in 2004 to 29% in 2007.”

“Despite the good progress we’ve made, too many young women are still drinking at harmful levels,” Mr Robertson said.

“Many young women want to drink less, but for are often finding it difficult to do so – this campaign aims to bridge this gap.

“That’s why we have this campaign plus a website full of information to support them.

“The Feeling Good website, designed to give young women information, tips and encouragement to quit smoking, now also provides support and assistance for young women about their alcohol consumption.

“It will assist young women who are dealing with a range of health risk factors such as smoking and drinking; and how to best manage these issues to improve their health and well-being,” he said.

The website can be found at http://www.feelinggood.com.au

MEDIA: PAUL LYNCH 3234 1190