Objective

To raise the public’s awareness regarding the risks associated with underage alcohol consumption and the legislation applicable in this field.

To increase parents’ understanding of the harmful effects that alcohol consumption has on minors’ health development and inform them about ways to approach this issue when talking to their children.

To provide dedicated educational and informative materials for teachers, offering valuable advice to address the issue of underage alcohol consumption.

To undertake actions with retailers that commit them to a responsible approach regarding legal purchase age.

Description

Spirits Romania launched the long-term campaign in 2015 after a commissioned qualitative study showed that most Romanian teenagers don’t see a problem in drinking alcohol and have limited knowledge of the consequences it has on their physical and mental health.  ESPAD statistics showed that 78% of 16-year-old Romanian teenagers consumed alcohol at least once in their life, and the average age of onset of alcohol use is 13-14 years.   

The programme uses traditional and social media channels, as well as series of educational activities conducted together with the campaign’s partners and endorsers.  A dedicated website provides information and recommendations for parents and teachers to encourage and help them discuss about alcohol consumption with their children, respectively their pupils, a test for parents, specialists’ opinions, facts and figures, and educational resources.  The key messages are: Drinking alcohol <18 is illegal and damages your health; There are healthy alternatives to having a good time, aside from drinking alcohol, and Drinking alcohol is an adult-only activity.

• 2019: The campaign was expanded to also reach teachers.  The Ministry of Education was involved for the first time and supported the development of the Educational Guide “Stay in the game! Adolescence without alcohol”, launched in June at a press conference.  The guide, prepared in online and print format, provides teachers a working tool to address the issue of underage alcohol consumption in the classroom, including practical activities, and is available on the website for free download.
  Another highlight was the campaign’s endorsement by Mirel Radoi, Manager of the Romanian U21 National Football Team, who featured in a video that tells the story of a group of teens who choose to say NO to alcohol.  The campaign was visible nationwide in 280 supermarkets by displaying stoppers and shelf & cash registry wobblers that reminded customers and sales staff the legal purchase age.
  The website was refreshed and upgraded.  It now includes the current status of underage drinking in Romania; a new section for teachers with specialists’ recommendations and testimonials by the Minister of National Education, Ecaterina Andronescu, and educational psychologist Carmen Tapai, author of the Educational Guide.

• 2018: An online campaign on Facebook and YouTube involved popular Romanian vloggers and bloggers and targeted teenagers’ parents.
• 2015: A “Guide for parents” was created, together with a psychotherapist, to inform parents about the drinking effects on their children and teach them how to talk to them about alcohol. The guide was launched in a press conference covered by national TV networks and the most important national newswires, dailies and radio stations. The campaign was endorsed by four medical specialists who publicly supported the campaign and participated in the leading outlet Adevarul live shows on the dangers of underage alcohol drinking. Through retail partnerships, the campaign information materials were displayed in 350 stores nationwide.

Partners

Romanian Ministry of National Education (2019-ongoing)

Romanian Football Federation (2015-ongoing)

Mega Image (2017-ongoing)

National Consumer Protection Authority (2015)

Carrefour (2015)

Penny Market (2015)

Results

Results in 2019

• The website had 4,592 pageviews and 3,610 unique pageviews during the campaign period.  More than 1,300 views and downloads of the Educational Guide (available on the website) took place over a month.
• The Facebook page had 15,572 “likes” (50% increase).  846,115 people were reached on Facebook.
• More than 11,800 people were reached on the SuntParinte.ro and Didactic.ro Facebook pages. There were more than 2,000 views of the online articles on Didactic.ro and SundParinte.ro.
• FRF’s YouTube video had more than 1,300 views.
• The campaign appeared in more than 30 online news and 3 TV news.  More than 10 journalists from major media outlets attended the June campaign press conference.
• 560 stoppers and 1680 wobblers were displayed in 280 supermarkets.
• The campaign reached around 1,5 million people in total.

Website

https://www.consuma-responsabil.ro/suntem-multi/

Downloads

Videos

Photo gallery

Documents