Helping Mandurah kids 'live their best life'

The South Metropolitan Health Service (SMHS) Health Promotion team has supported the creation of a first-of-its-kind localised campaign to reduce alcohol consumption amongst young people in Mandurah.

The Living My Best Life – Youth Alcohol campaign is a strategy in the Mandurah Communities that Care Action Plan aimed at challenging attitudes towards alcohol use by young people and ensuring greater observance of laws relating to youth drinking.

Eight young people from the local ‘Young Leaders Group’ have been integral in developing the program, consulting with local school students, developing the brand, casting, filming and storyboarding a filming video central to the campaign.

SMHS Health Promotion Officer Corinne Hunt recently presented at the campaign launch at the Billy Dower Youth Centre in Mandurah.

“This is really unique and Mandurah is the first community to localise the state government alcohol campaign that has been heavily promoted over the last couple of months. This is something we feel should be celebrated!” Corrine said.

The campaign incorporates components to target both parents and young people in the Mandurah region. To educate young people, the Young Leaders Group facilitated local youth to develop a video and ran a youth forum educating 75 students across Mandurah.

The campaign to parents involved taking the Mental Health Commission’s “I need you to say no” campaign and making it Mandurah specific, using local Mandurah young people.

This project has been supported by South Metropolitan Health Service, City of Mandurah, Communities that Care Board and funded by WA Police Crime Prevention, Healthway and Alcohol and Drug Foundation.

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