Shock tactics are far more likely to convince people to avoid binge drinking than long-term health education, new research shows.
Sinister advertisements warning young women that they may not get home safely if they allow themselves to get too drunk are far more likely to be effective than campaigns warning them of potential heart or liver disease, according to a survey by the Portman Group, which is funded by the drinks industry.
The equivalent for young men might be advertisements informing them how much more likely they are to get into a fight or to be involved in committing a crime when drunk.
The survey, by MORI, found that 39% of people think shock tactics would work better than education campaigns, which were supported by 21%.  Among under-25’s, support for shock tactics rose to 44%.
The study showed that binge drinking is rife among under-25’s, with 17% – representing one million young people – admitting that they regularly drank to get drunk.  That compares with 5% of all adults.    Alexandra Frean