National Social Marketing Centre

The north east of England is on the verge of an ‘epidemic’ of liver disease, according to the health campaign group Balance.

It warns that hospital admissions for alcoholic liver disease among people in their early 30s have increased by more than 400 per cent over eight years.

Among the reasons cited for this worrying trend is the region’s high level of underage drinking. More eleven to 15 year-olds are on the sauce here than anywhere else in the country, with over half drinking at least once a week

Balance blames this on the easy availability and low cost of alcohol and is also running a campaign to curb advertising. However, work carried out by The NSMC and North Tyneside PCT found that there are other drivers. In a project to reduce underage street drinking, research with young people revealed that boredom and a lack of out of school activities played a major role: kids simply felt that they didn’t have any other opportunities to spend time and socialise.

In response, the ‘Sub21’ campaign offered a programme of appealing diversions – such a clubs where kids could socialise while learning how to DJ – in which the young people played a key role in planning. Alongside addressing illegal alcohol sales, this approach contributed to a range of improvements, such as fewer girls reporting buying alcohol in off-licences (from 19.2 per cent to 7.5 per cent).

So at least part of the solution could lie in providing productive activities that get young people off the streets. However, youth services are feeling the cuts. According to the Confederation of Heads of Young People's Services, more than £100m had been axed from local authority youth services by April this year.

By taking a social marketing approach, we can help to ensure remaining resources are targeted for the greatest impact.

For ideas on how to tackle alcohol-related issues, visit The NSMC’s One Stop Shop of unpublished public sector research and our ShowCase database.