14 QMYOU / Creativity and Culture
AlcoLOLs helps change Scotland ’ s teenage drinking culture
SPECIALISTS IN DIALOGUE at QMU have created a ground breaking initiative which could transform Scotland ’ s drinking culture .
The AlcoLOLs project , which has been running in Edinburgh since 2010 , is helping change young people ’ s attitudes to our notorious drinking culture .
The innovative project , which has been funded by The Robertson Trust , was developed by QMU . It focuses on peer to peer dialogue where young people share experiences of alcohol issues . Their increased knowledge of how to deal with such issues and peer pressure is having a real positive impact on teenagers ’ attitudes to drinking and on their own drinking behaviour .
The project team , made up of communication academics , recognise that most young people learn about alcohol through trial and error during their early adulthood , usually as part of a friendship or peer group . The new peer-led intervention aims to establish healthier norms of behaviour concerning drinking , and to prevent alcohol misuse . Ultimately , the team hopes to reduce the long-term harm associated with Scotland ’ s drinking culture .
Emma Wood , Lecturer in Public Relations at QMU , explained : “ Drinking too much is a well-recognised social problem which is tackled through a combination of education , controlling availability , and , sadly unsuccessful legislative efforts such as minimal pricing . Young people are an important target group but teenagers often don ’ t respond to being ‘ talked at ’ by adults and advertising falls on deaf ears . We know from research that they are influenced by their peers and so teenagers needed to become more involved in designing their own approach which they can truly associate with .”
She continued : “ Our approach was cocreated with a group of pupils at Portobello High School , now known as The AlcoLOLs . We developed dialogue techniques so that they could run dialogue groups with their peers at school to encourage them to talk and think about alcohol in different ways . Together , they devise strategies for making confident , informed choices , and for navigating situations involving alcohol safely . They run groups in their schools with no adults in the room . It ’ s very different from the traditional technique where health professionals tell young people what they should , and should not , be doing .”
The AlcoLOLs created a film and scenarios based on their own experiences in order to stimulate honest discussion amongst their groups . This work has almost unfailingly created insights into participants ’ motivations and impacts of drinking , or choosing not to drink . It equips them to deal more effectively with situations involving alcohol . It also shows them how to talk about their choices with their parents or another responsible person , something which research shows in crucial in creating safer drinking behaviour .
Emma said : “ For the first time , many of the pupils were able to be truly honest about the way they normally communicate at school . One pupil summed this up when she said : “ I never say what I really feel . I only say what I need to say to fit in .”
“ It was apparent that alcohol was associated with fun and was used as a way to fit in with the ‘ in-crowd ’, to be popular , to be cool .
14 QMYOU / Creativity and Culture