The role of education in the reduction of alcohol-fuelled violence will be highlighted at Griffith University on Thursday (Mar 24) when a new partnership involving Social Marketing @ Griffith and alcohol and drug educational specialists, AlcoCups, is unveiled.
Queensland Senator Glenn Lazarus has also backed the new research initiative to be outlined at a media conference at Griffith’s Nathan campus, and will attend the 12:30pm event.
Senator Lazarus has recently succeeded in establishing a national Senate Inquiry into alcohol-fuelled violence and the need for a national strategy to address the issue in partnership with all states and territories.
“Nationally, one in seven serious incident presentations to emergency departments are alcohol-fuelled violence related,” Senator Lazarus (left) said today.
“In Queensland the number is higher, it is one in five, so I am very supportive of Queensland’s lead in undertaking research to investigate how existing education programs can be improved to address the growing issue across our society.
“I am pleased to be supporting this research initiative between Griffith University and AlcoCups.”
Thursday’s announcement focuses on the launch of AlcoCups’ new Online Alcohol Educational Module, which will be independently assessed by the Social Marketing @ Griffith team.
The module aims to increase knowledge among university residential students about standard drinks, Blood Alcohol Concentration, water safety and alcohol, the effects of alcohol and assistance for alcohol issues.
“The importance for innovative, interactive and informative education should be at the forefront of any approach to positively changing alcohol culture,” Ashley Gurney, founder and managing director of AlcoCups, said.
Students living on university campuses around Australia have recently commenced the online alcohol educational module. The online modules are supported by the Australasian Association of College and University Housing Officers.
The module aims to further increase students’ knowledge, enabling more informed choices and decisions to be made regarding alcohol.
Their responses to the module will be scientifically reviewed by the Social Marketing @ Griffith team to evaluate its impact and effectiveness.
“We will investigate their responses both before and after completing the five online modules, and analyse changes in knowledge, expectancies, intentions and attitudes towards excessive drinking,” Dr Timo Dietrich (right), Griffith Business School, said.
“Our ultimate focus here is on alcohol-fuelled violence and what can be done to address it effectively. We are confident our partnership with AlcoCups can underline the crucial part that education has to play in tackling this issue by bringing about cultural changes.
“One in every three Australians has experienced alcohol-fuelled violence during their lifetime.”
Social marketing involves the use of commercial marketing techniques to influence and facilitate behaviours that benefit individuals and communities.
Dr Dietrich has previously designed and developedGame On: Know Alcohol, an online program that successfully changed attitudes and behaviour among teens around alcohol consumption andbinge-drinking.
“We are delighted with the support we have received from Senator Lazarus whose involvement will help to raise awareness of this project,” he said.