HORSHAM Rural City Council hopes to change teen drinking culture in the city with the launch of its new project.
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The Youth Changing Alcohol Norms, also known as Youth CAN, addressed unhealthy drinking habits in the region.
Council community services director Kevin O’Brien said there was a culture of risky teen drinking in Horsham that needed to change.
He said the project hoped to convince parents to stop supplying their children with alcohol.
“The project seeks to reduce pressure to drink, provide young people with alternatives to high-risk drinking and to achieve shifts in perceptions that the purpose of parties and gathering is to drink excessively,” he said.
Mr O’Brien said the Youth CAN project would deliver a range of activities over the next 18 months.
He said the activities included an arts and theatre performance program, a social media campaign, consolidation of school curriculum to ensure a consistent messages on alcohol were shared, a parent network and alternative alcohol-free activities for Horsham teenagers.
Mayor Pam Clarke launched the project during the city’s Kannamaroo festival.
She encouraged everyone to think before they drink.
“There is plenty of fun to be had without having to drink excessively,” she said.
“The launch was a great opportunity for teens, parents, and members of the community to find out what Youth CAN is all about while also having fun trying out hip hop dancing, practicing handball target, and playing colour powder wars.”