The Washakie County Prevention Coalition is launching the “It’s Who We Are” campaign to work toward reducing underage drinking among Washakie County high school students. The “It’s Who We Are” campaign emphasizes the healthy beliefs and behaviors (known as “positive norms”) teens have about underage drinking and seeks to correct misperceptions that teens have about their peers’ use of alcohol.
The campaign highlights the fact that most teens are already making healthy choices. It is this knowledge that will empower youth to continue their healthy lifestyles. Campaign messages are positive, creative, and focused specifically on Washakie County youth.
Recent findings from the 2020 WY Prevention Needs Assessment (PNA) show that MOST Washakie County high school students are making healthy choices when it comes to underage drinking.
MOST (66%) Washakie County high school students DON’T drink alcohol in a typical month.
MOST Washakie County high school students believe it’s not a good idea for someone their age to drink.
Although most students are making healthy decisions about not drinking alcohol, the risks and negative consequences for students who do can be devastating. Unfortunately, many students misperceive the fact that most of their peers are not drinking alcohol. In fact, 84% of high school students perceive that most students in their school have consumed alcohol in the past 30 days, when in fact, most have not. When teens overestimate the number of their peers engaging in a risky behavior (i.e., underage drinking), they are more likely to engage in that risky behavior. The “It’s Who We Are” campaign was developed to correct these misperceptions and reduce underage drinking among Washakie high school students.
Campaign media will be placed primarily in Worland and Ten Sleep High Schools but will also be present throughout the county. The campaign features posters, video and radio ads, school banners, and other media highlighting the healthy beliefs and behaviors of our high school students.
Opportunities for community conversations on reducing underage drinking will take place throughout the coming year. To learn more about the “It’s Who We Are” campaign, please visit www.washakiepreventioncoalition.org.
Reference: Wyoming Survey and Analysis Center. (2018, 2020). Wyoming Prevention Needs Assessment. Wyoming Department of Health. https://pnasurvey.org
